FBI's National Crackdown On Child Sex Abuse Offenders Leads To Arrest Of MD Man

PRINCES GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD — An Upper Marlboro man and a former Maryland resident have been arrested as part of a nationwide crackdown on child sex abuse offenders called Operation Restore Justice.

Led by the FBI, Operation Restore Justice spanned five days and resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders across the country.

Joel Thomas Biermann, 46, of University Park, was arrested and indicted for multiple child exploitation offenses. Biermann has been charged with two counts of producing child sexual abuse material, one count of distributing child sexual abuse material and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material.

Donald Robert Wilt Edwards, Sr., 29, of West Virginia, was indicted for sexually exploiting a minor. The former Baltimore resident has been charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, three counts of distribution of child sexual abuse material and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material.

“Every arrest made in these cases delivers justice and sends a clear message that crimes against children will not be tolerated,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno. “This operation highlights efforts FBI Baltimore, our Violent Crimes Against Children Squad and our dedicated law enforcement partners continually make to protect children from the dangerous and predatory monsters seeking to exploit, harm and abuse.”

In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims, DelBagno added.

“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.”