Headline Archives |
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KEEPING OUR CHILDREN SAFE Protecting the 'Most Vulnerable Among Us' |
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08/22/08 | ||||||
The exploitation of children has unfortunately become a “growth industry,” according to FBI Director Robert S. Mueller, III, but the Bureau is “working every day to find and stop those who prey on our children.” Speaking recently at the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center Crimes Against Children Conference, Mueller noted how pervasive these crimes have become. “In just the past decade, we have moved from lone predators with limited reach to global communities of pedophiles on the Internet,” he said. “We have moved from back-alley bookstores to criminal enterprises that treat children as merely another commodity for sale in the global marketplace. We have moved from videos in plain brown packages to encrypted websites, flash drives, and cell phones capable of storing thousands of images.”
How big is the problem? A recent five-day sweep of 16 cities conducted through our Innocence Lost program, which identifies and disrupts child prostitution rings, resulted in the arrests of 389 people and the recovery of 21 children. Earlier this week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California capped an eight-month, first-of-its-kind investigation by the Bureau and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by charging 52 defendants with possession of child pornography. The defendants were allegedly using peer-to-peer Internet networks to exchange graphic images and videos. And these are just two examples—there are many more. But while the scope of the problem is vast, Mueller said, “we are using new tools, new technology, and new partnerships” to help put a stop to crimes against children. The Bureau battles crimes against children on several fronts, with partnerships that range from local police departments to private Internet service providers to global law enforcement organizations. For instance:
In the end, though, the battle against those who prey on children is often a frustrating one. Said Mueller, “There are days…when it seems there are more predators than police officers, prosecutors, and child advocates combined. But these predators cannot match our dedication.” He added, “We reaffirm our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable among us. We reaffirm our commitment to sweeping sexual predators off the street, off the Internet, and out of our children’s lives.” Resources: |