The arrests came after a months-long investigation by the attorney general’s office into the risks of sexual exploitation of children on Facebook and Instagram. That investigation also formed the basis of a lawsuit against Meta, filed in December, accusing the tech giant of creating a “breeding ground” for child predators. The company also said in December that it had launched technology to proactively detect and disable accounts displaying suspicious behaviors and that it formed a Child Safety Task Force. But Torrez said during Wednesday’s press conference that the arrests underscore the ongoing, real-world risks to children from Meta’s platforms. “Throughout the conversation Fernando sent pictures of his genitals and spoke to her about having sex,” a press release from the attorney general’s office states.

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Persons: Mark, General Raúl Torrez, we’ve, Zuckerberg, Meta, Torrez, Fernando Clyde, Fernando, ”, Clyde, Marlon Kellywood, Kellywood, Christopher Reynolds, Reynolds Organizations: New, New York CNN, Facebook, Meta, CNN, National Center for, ”, Force, “, Clyde Locations: New York, New Mexico, Mexico