From it’s Lexington, SC office today, the FBI stated it has arrested David Lynn Wells for production and distribution of child pornography. David Lynn Wells is already serving time for having sex with a minor.
(Lexington, S.C.)—In an unprecedented nationwide operation to protect our children and mark April’s National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the FBI announces Operation Restore Justice, a five-day, sweeping FBI initiative to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators across the country in coordination with all 55 of our FBI field offices.
David Lynn Wells: A Rising Threat in Child Exploitation
As part of this operation, the FBI Columbia Field Office, in a joint investigation with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), arrested David Lynn Wells, 31, of Anderson. Wells is charged in a criminal complaint with the production of child pornography and the distribution of child pornography. He is currently serving a state prison sentence on an unrelated case involving sexual misconduct with a minor.
In regards to the arrest of David Lynn Wells, Reid Davis, acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia field office said, “The FBI will relentlessly pursue anyone who commits violent sex crimes against children,. These offenders pose a grave threat to our communities and protecting our children is one of our highest priorities. We will use every tool available to identify, apprehend, and bring them to justice with the full weight of the law.”
Last week alone, the FBI arrested 205 subjects and rescued 115 children across the country during the surge of resources deployed for Operation Restore Justice. The subjects arrested in this operation included those in positions of public trust–law enforcement, members of the military and teachers. Others are your neighbors, proving criminal activity can be found even in the most familiar places. They’re accused of various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking.
David Lynn Wells is just one signature arrest in this effort.
But our work didn’t just happen last week. Throughout the entire month of April, the FBI along with our state and local law enforcement partners, additionally arrested more than 190 perpetrators on charges related to crimes against children. With nearly 400 arrests in one month, these actions are the direct result of the FBI’s continued efforts to track down and stop sexual predators before they can harm more victims.
David Wells Criminal Complaint Affidavit by MyrtleBeachSC news on Scribd
The David Lynn Wells arrest was the result of a dedicated and targeted effort, reflecting countless hours of work by hundreds of special agents, intel analysts and other FBI personnel. It further emphasizes the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Bureau works relentlessly to investigate these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of prevention, community education and the FBI’s never-ending pursuit of criminals who exploit our children.
The FBI proactively identifies individuals involved in child sexual exploitation and the production of child sexual abuse material through our far-reaching, nationwide network of personnel and law enforcement partners. The Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) program provides a rapid, proactive, and comprehensive capacity to counter all threats of abuse against children. This capacity leverages partnerships within the FBI’s 89 Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Forces (CEHTTFs) across the country. Additionally, the FBI has Intelligence Analysts assigned to address the VCAC threat, both at Headquarters and the field. The FBI also leads a Violent Crimes Against Children International Task Force which includes nearly 100 International Task Force Officers representing over 60 countries to expand our ability to address the threat worldwide.
The FBI also partners with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org. In further partnership and collaboration with NCMEC, the FBI launched the Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP) in 2004 to identify individuals involved in the sexual abuse of children and the production of child sexual abuse material. To date, ECAP has identified 36 individuals.
Local News Via - MyrtleBeachSC.com
