Nearly 100 people from the U.S. and Australia were arrested in connection to child sexual abuse, with 13 children being rescued in the process, according to NBC News.
These rescues occurred after two FBI agents were shot in 2021 as they pursued leads in connection to the pedophiles. Those arrested have been accused of either sharing or creating content depicting child sexual abuse. Now an international investigation called “Operation Bakis” is bringing justice to the victims.
Australian Federal Police Commander Helen Schneider said in a statement, “The success of Operation Bakis demonstrates the importance of partnerships for law enforcement, at a national level here in Australia, but also at an international level.”
This investigation comes on the heels of Angel Studios’ wildly popular film, “Sound of Freedom.” The movie is based on the true story of Tim Ballard’s pursuit to save children from the suffering and servitude they endure when caught in the line of human trafficking.
While many media outlets have blatantly blasted “Sound of Freedom” as a QAnon conspiracist film, ventures like Operation Bakis are a reminder that children are sexually exploited both in America and across the world each day.
Scripture emphasizes the inherent worth of every person, as each life is fearfully and wonderfully made by God (Ps. 139:14). Scripture also speaks directly about the value God places on children. Matthew 18 discusses the kind of childlike faith we are to have, and that those who humble themselves the way a child does will reap great rewards in heaven. However, those who do not come with the same kind of faith cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. In fact, for the person who misleads one with this kind of innocent faith, it would be “better for him to have a millstone hung about his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” (v. 6). God is serious about how much He loves children; not only are we to model our faith after theirs, but leading anyone astray who believes like a child will leave us in turmoil.
As Christians, we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ. This means we must advocate for awareness, supporting organizations engaged in rescue and restoration, and offer prayer and assistance to survivors. We have the opportunity to contribute to the restoration of lives and the advancement of God’s kingdom on earth. It is the only way to secure the protection of the vulnerable. {eoa}
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Abby Trivett is a marketing copywriter and coordinator for Charisma Media.
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