Nationwide Child Exploitation Crackdown Nets Over 200 Arrests, Including Two in Maryland

A nationwide operation targeting child sex offenders resulted in the arrest of 205 individuals and the rescue of 115 children, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday. The five-day initiative, dubbed Operation Restore Justice, was led by the FBI in partnership with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and included coordinated action from all 55 FBI field offices.

The operation included cases across the country, with offenses ranging from production and distribution of child sexual abuse material to online enticement, child sex trafficking, and transportation of minors for illegal sexual activity. In Maryland, two individuals were charged as part of the sweep. Donald Robert Wilt Edwards, Sr., 29, formerly of Baltimore and now residing in West Virginia, faces multiple federal charges including three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Joel Thomas Biermann, 46, of University Park, Maryland, was indicted for allegedly producing and distributing child sexual abuse material.

Additional arrests highlighted by the Justice Department include a state trooper and Army Reservist in Minneapolis accused of producing child sexual abuse material while in uniform, and a former Metropolitan Police officer in Washington, D.C., charged with trafficking minors. Another case in Norfolk, Virginia, involved a non-citizen alleged to have transported a minor across state lines for sex. Community tips and parental involvement were credited with aiding several of the arrests, including a California case where a young victim reported abuse following an FBI school presentation.

Operation Restore Justice comes on the heels of National Child Abuse Prevention Month and is part of the Department’s broader Project Safe Childhood initiative. Launched in 2006, the program leverages federal and local partnerships to pursue offenders who exploit children online and to rescue victims. The Department continues to support public education and community engagement efforts to prevent abuse and encourages the public to report suspected exploitation to the FBI or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland and the Department of Justice.

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