At least, 17 children were rescued in a massive child exploitation operation

News24xx.com - Eighty-two people were arrested and 17 children were rescued across eight southeastern states in a massive child exploitation operation this week.

The sting, dubbed Operation Southern Impact III, targeted people who possess and distribute child pornography and those exploiting children on the internet in other ways, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which led the four-month investigation.

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The probe culminated in three days of undercover operations, search warrant executions and arrests in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

The list of suspects includes a youth group leader, a former high school band director and a firefighter, the bureau said Friday in a news release. Their ages range from 20 to 70 and four of them were already registered sex offenders.

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“A goal of the operation was to arrest persons who communicate with children on-line and then travel to meet them for the purpose of having sex,” Georgia authorities said in the statement. “On-line child predators visit chat rooms and websites on the internet, find children, begin conversations with them, introduce sexual content and arrange a meeting with the children for the purpose of having sex.”

The 17 children, who were rescued or identified as victims, included boys and girls, the bureau said.

The operation also turned up eight firearms, ammunition and drugs, according to the statement.