OKC Man Arrested in International Child Porn Sting - KTUL.com - Tulsa, Oklahoma - News, Weather & Sports

An Oklahoma City man was arrested after a nationwide sting operation targeting child predators.

Agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Unit arrested 190 people and rescued 18 victims in the sting, called Operation Orion.

Among those arrested was 35-year-old Andrew McKee of Oklahoma City, who was picked up in Garland, Texas, on May 9th.

McKee was accused of coercing and enticing a minor via the Internet.

McKee met a 14-year-old victim on a social-networking site and allegedly continued to harass the victim via texts, offering money in exchange for sex.

He was not accused of possessing, manufacturing, or distributing child pornography, though some of the other 189 suspects were accused of those crimes.

Operation Orion took place between May 1st and May 31st.

The majority of arrests were made in the U.S., but agents also snagged suspects in Spain, The Philippines, Argentina, and the United Kingdom.

Last year, the same unit looked into 3000 cases of child exploitation and made 1455 arrests.

Experts said that with kids out of school for the summer and likely spending a lot of time on the computer, it's the perfect time to remind them of the dangers of Internet predators.

Members of the public may report suspected child predators by calling 866-DHS-2ICE or by visiting www.ice.gov/tips.

[Sources: KOCO, Associated Press]