PROTECTING
OUR CHILDREN
Pulling the Plug on Internet Child Pornography E-Groups
04/01/04
If
there's one thing we can't tolerate, it's pornographers
who specially target children – in this case,
taking and swapping explicit photos of 1-10 year
olds over the Internet as part of "invitation-only" e-groups.
We
got our first tip on this "underground" network
in November 2002, from a citizen in Denmark who
discovered that an Internet e-group was being used
to exchange child pornography. After we analyzed
the material and got a search warrant, we determined
that some of the images were from a home in the
United States where the father had installed hidden
cameras in his daughter's bedroom and bathroom.
The father, a member of an e-group, was immediately
arrested.
Today
we pulled the plug on these groups for the 9th
time. Cyber Division Assistant Director
Jana Monroe announced the newest series of coordinated
search warrant operations on these pedophiles,
all predicated on violations of 18 USC 2251 and
2252 that prohibit production, transmission, and
possession of child pornography.
How
widespread are they? Very widespread.
The latest searches were conducted by agents in
our New Haven, Indianapolis, Boston, New York,
Memphis, San Antonio, and Phoenix offices.
Who
has been caught in the net to date? Child
molesters, producers of child pornography, and
registered sex offenders, among others. Since August
2003, we've used 112 search warrants in 31 states
to net 27 arrests, 10 indictments, and three convictions.
Stay tuned for more.
A
few examples:
- The
18-year-old son of a state judge who stored more
than 100 images on his computer of small children
doing unspeakable things.
- An
elected law enforcement official who had set
up a child pornography production studio in his
basement – equipped with multiple web cameras,
digital cameras, and computer terminals. He admitted
molesting his stepdaughter and step-granddaughter
for many years; he faces up to 30 years in prison.
Above
all: Beyond taking these criminals off
the street and offline, we are identifying their
young victims and rescuing them from abusive environments.
In
the words of AD Monroe, "These kinds of cases
truly represent the most abhorrent crimes we see.
There are no exclusive clubs for pedophiles or sanctuaries
for those who commit these deplorable crimes. We
will continue to work aggressively with the Department
of Justice and our law enforcement partners throughout
the world to identify and prosecute those who engage
in the exploitation of our children."
Links:
Press
Release | FBI
Cyber Division | Innocent
Images National Initiative
