Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Relentless Justice 205 Child Victims Located and 293 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in Nationwide Crackdown, Including 4 in the Eastern District of Michigan

DETROIT – The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.

“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes."

“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”

“There is a special place in Hell waiting for the predators who hurt our children,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon. “In the meantime, we will work with our compatriots to stop these evil criminals.”

“FBI Detroit will relentlessly pursue anyone who seeks to exploit our children, regardless of their profession or status in society,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “As part of the FBI’s national initiative, Operation Relentless Justice, FBI Detroit’s Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes (SEMTEC) Task Force investigated and arrested individuals who allegedly produced, distributed or were in possession of child pornography. FBI Detroit will not tolerate the exploitation of children in any form, and I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan for its strong partnership. We will never stop protecting our children and will do everything we can under federal law to hold offenders accountable.”

The following cases were charged in the Eastern District of Michigan:

FBI executed search warrants at the Detroit home of Jeremy Tacon, a psychologist, and Joshua Ronnebaum, an attorney. The FBI seized numerous media storage devices from the residence containing child pornography and which contained discussions between the men expressing their sexual interest in children. The arrest of Tacon and Ronnebaum led the FBI to Lincoln Erickson, a doctor, who also had child pornography on his phone. On December 16, Tacon and Ronnebaum were charged in a nine-count indictment with receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography. On December 17, Erickson was charged with receipt of child pornography. The three men have been detained pending trial.

On December 16, 2025, FBI agents arrested Kevin Howard, 28 of Westland, after receiving information that he was using the Kik application to distribute child sexually abusive material of infant and toddler aged children to other users.  Howard has been charged with distribution of child pornography and is currently in custody awaiting a detention hearing.

Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. Some of the alleged offenders include an airman out of Dallas, TX, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sex abuse material (CSAM), as well as a Police Officer from Raleigh, NC, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and had previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.

As sextortion cases continue to rise, this operation highlights arrests of individuals who target vulnerable children online including the five leaders of Greggy’s Cult, as well as a Virginia man who persuaded a 14-year-old to produce CSAM.  The victim attempted suicide after he allegedly told her to kill herself.

This effort follows two other successful operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, including 5 from the Eastern District of Michigan, and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders, including 5 from the Eastern District of Michigan.

The FBI's Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.

These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. attorneys’ offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/psc.

The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for 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.

The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.