Between
fiscal years 1996 - 2005, the Innocent Images
National Initiative has recorded the following
statistical accomplishments:
Number
of Cases Opened |
15,556
|
Number
of Informations & Indictments |
4,784
|
Number
of Arrests, Locates & Summons |
6,154
|
Number
of Convictions & Pretrial Diversions |
4,822
|
NEW INNOCENT IMAGES INITIATIVES:
ENDANGERED
CHILD ALERT PROGRAM: On 02/21/2004 the
FBI began its Endangered Child Alert Program
(ECAP), a new and aggressive approach to identify
unknown individuals involved in the sexual
abuse of children and production of child
pornography. The ECAP uses national and international
media exposure of unknown adults featured
in child pornography and displays their face
on the "Seeking Information" section
of the FBI's website at www.fbi.gov/wanted/seekinfo/seekcac.htm
in hopes someone can identify them. Their
face will eventually be broadcast on the television
show America's Most Wanted: America Fights
Back if the unknown child pornography
subject is not identified from the website.
Of particular significance in these cases
was that for the first time, the Innocent
Images program obtained "John Doe"
arrest warrants based solely on images acquired
through undercover investigations. It is believed
that national and international exposure will
lead to rapid identifications and arrests
of persons involved in child pornography and
sexual abuse of minors. This new method is
intended to aggressively pursue and thwart
individuals who would abuse or harm our nation's
children.
To date, the ECAP has successfully identified
and arrested four previously-unknown child
abuse subjects. These investigations have
led to the identification and arrest of two
additional child abuse subjects and the identification
of at least thirty child victims.
OPERATION
"PEER PRESSURE": In November
2003, the FBI initiated Phase I of "Operation
Peer Pressure" a nationwide initiative
to target users of Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks
to collect and distribute child pornography.
(P2P) networks are free file-sharing programs
that allow users to find and exchange files
from other users with the same Internet software.
Once a user installs a P2P software application,
they can directly access and search for files
in designated folders on other user's computers.
During this phase, the FBI conducted 166 online
sessions in which undercover FBI Agents download
child pornography from offender's computers.
These sessions resulted in the identification
of 106 subjects located throughout the U.S.
Using this evidence gathered during the undercover
operation, Agents obtained search warrants
for subjects' residences where computers and
other contraband were seized. 41 of the FBI's
56 field offices were involved in this first
phase of operation "Peer Pressure".
Additional phases are ongoing. As of 01/04/2006,
over 300 searches were executed, 69 subjects
were indicted, 63 subjects were arrested,
and over 40 convictions have been achieved.
These
cases have charged not only offenses related
to the possession and distribution of child
pornography, but also sexual abuse of children.
Peer Pressure investigations have identified
several individuals who have previously been
convicted of sex offenses and several registered
sex offenders. In one such case by the FBI's
Houston Division, a search conducted by FBI
agents found a subject who was in possession
of hundreds of child sexual abuse images,
as well as several violent movies depicting
graphic sexual abuses of children. This subject
also confessed to molesting his seven year
old stepdaughter. In another case by the FBI's
Albany Division, Agents questioned an individual
who immediately confessed to possessing hundreds
of images and movies depicting the sexual
abuse of children. This individual also disclosed
to Agents that he had molested two girls,
ages 6 and 8.
It
is important for parents to be educated to
the risks associated with peer-to-peer networking.
While not all aspects of these networks are
bad, like other Internet services, they provide
pedophiles with a false sense of anonymity
to collect and transmit images. This sense
of anonymity encourages pedophiles to openly
share as much of their child pornography to
as wide an audience as possible. In addition,
pedophiles will often use innocuous or popular
search terms to expose innocent children and
adults to graphic child pornographic images.
This creates a situation in which children
search P2P networks for their favorite pop
music artist only to find search results which
include child pornography. Parents should
be aware that access to these networks is
free and exposure to child pornography is
not uncommon.
ORGANIZED
eGROUPS: In 2003, the FBI began a nationwide
initiative to investigate child sexual abuse
in eGroups. An eGroup is an online forum for
people who share a common interest to easily
communicate and share information with one
another. Many different online services host
eGroups. An eGroup consists of a website on
which members can post messages, photos, videos,
and other files. In addition, the eGroup also
acts as an e-mail forwarding service where
sending an e-mail with attachments to the
eGroup (which requires only a single e-mail
address) may be forwarded to any eGroup member
choosing to receive such forwards. E-mails
sent to an eGroup are also typically posted
on the eGroup's website. When accessing an
eGroup that is used for child pornography,
one will typically find photos, videos, and
e-mail messages posted by eGroup members that
contain child pornography.
eGroups
used for illegal purposes are often user-created
and, therefore, they typically are not listed
in any online directory for non-members to
find. Membership in child pornographic eGroups
is typically by invite only, which ensures
that individuals do not just stumble across
them and join. The owner or a moderator of
an eGroup approves members for admission to
a closed or restricted eGroup. Members log
in to their eGroup with a username and password.
During
this initiative, FBI agents were provided
consent by subjects to assume their online
identity (including their username and password).
Using this account, an undercover agent accessed
the eGroups that the subject was a member
of and collected evidence of transmission
of child pornography by multiple members of
the eGroups. Simultaneous search warrants
were executed on all identified transmitters
of child pornography. These searches yielded
evidence of additional crimes, to include
child molestation and the possession, production,
and advertising of child pornography. As of
01/04/2006, over 180 searches were executed,
162 subjects were indicted, 89 subjects were
arrested, and over 100 convictions have been
achieved.