DOJ US Attorney Ryan Ellison from Alamogordo Takes on Child Sex Abuse Offenders

Protecting children is one of our society’s most fundamental core values.,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison formerly of Alamogordo. “Thanks to the relentless efforts of the FBI and our law enforcement partners, child predators will find no safe haven in New Mexico. Every child deserves to grow up in safety and with hope—and we will not stop working until that promise is fulfilled for each and every kid in our state," said Ellison as a part of an update from the US DOJ concerning "operation restore justice," a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.

The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

"Those who prey on children will find no refuge from justice. These predators pose a serious threat to the safety of our communities, said Philip Russell Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Division. "The FBI will continue to prioritize these investigations and support our partners in pursuing offenders to the fullest extent of the law."

As a result of the operation, the following individuals are now facing charges in the District of New Mexico:

Noah John Carney, 31: Carney is accused of coercing a minor to engage in sexual activity between July and August of 2024. Carney was previously convicted of attempted coercion and enticement in 2014 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was serving an 18-month term of supervised release at the time of this offense.

Carl Weatherman, 42: Weatherman is accused of possessing child sexual abuse material which was found at his home during a search warrant last year. Weatherman was previously convicted of receipt of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct in 2016 and sentenced to 75 months in prison. He was serving a 10-year term of supervised release at the time of the current offense.

Others arrested around the country 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. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

The Justice Department is committed to 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 www.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-LOSTand 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.

For more information visit: https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/violent-crime/vcac

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