A Homeland Security task force dedicated to catching child predators is touting success after 8 arrests in a recent undercover operation this summer. The arrests came from Operation Stolen Innocence, where undercover operatives posed as children online to lure in predators who were looking to exploit children for sex on the internet. 

The operation was led by Homeland Security and the Oklahoma Tornado Alley Task Force, which consists of 16 agencies around the state.

"We're going to come get you," said Mary Magness with Homeland Security Investigations.

Magness says the people they arrested came from Tulsa, Sapulpa, Oklahoma City, and Bartlesville.

"These subjects come from all walks of life with ages from 22 to 63 years of age, we're proud to share that no victims were at risk during this operation," she said.

Task force leaders say 31-year-old Samuel Gile from Oklahoma City is suspected of attempting to entice a 14-year-old for sex and sending obscene material to a minor.

"These individuals, over the course of time, left where they were at, went somewhere to thinking they were going to meet with a minor for sex,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson.

Johnson says predators use apps to communicate with children. He urges parents to speak to their kids about their online presence.

"I also want parents to know who your children are talking to and on what social media platforms. Which video game chat rooms, TikTok, Instagram," said Johnson.

Johnson says arresting 8 suspects is a step in the right direction, but the task force still has plenty of work to do.

"What's sad is, is that if we dedicated every moment of every day to these types of cases with child predators, child pornography, and whatnot, we probably wouldn't get to the bottom of the barrel of it."

Investigators say during this operation, hundreds of people contacted those undercover operatives, and they are working to make similar arrests in the future.