LORAIN — A Lorain man is among nearly 300 people arrested nationwide as part of a U.S. Department of Justice crackdown targeting online child sexual exploitation, according to a federal press release issued this week.
Tevon J. Hunter, 30, of Lorain, was charged in the Northern District of Ohio following Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated, two-week nationwide enforcement effort aimed at identifying, tracking and arresting individuals involved in child sexual abuse material.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, Hunter is charged with receipt and distribution of visual depictions involving minors and transportation of child sexual abuse material. Federal court records indicate the charges stem from online activity uncovered during the operation. No plea has been entered, and the case remains pending.
Operation Relentless Justice resulted in the arrest of 293 child sexual abuse offenders nationwide and the identification or location of 205 child victims, the Department of Justice said. The initiative involved all 56 FBI field offices, U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, and the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
In Ohio’s Northern District, three individuals were charged as part of the operation. In addition to Hunter, defendants include Jeremy J. Miller and Anthony C. Hayes Jr., both of Maple Heights, who are facing multiple federal child pornography-related charges.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the operation reflects a continued national focus on aggressively prosecuting crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Federal officials emphasized that investigations often begin online and can span multiple jurisdictions.
“This operation shows that no matter where offenders are located, law enforcement will continue to work together to identify them and hold them accountable,” federal authorities said in the release.
The Department of Justice noted that Operation Relentless Justice builds on earlier nationwide enforcement actions conducted in 2025 under Project Safe Childhood, a long-running federal initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Federal officials said some investigations remain ongoing and additional charges could be filed as cases move through the federal court system.
Anyone with information related to child exploitation is encouraged to report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org.
Hunter’s case will be handled in federal court in the Northern District of Ohio. As with all criminal cases, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.