Rescuing Victims Of Child Sexual Abuse: FBI Programs Support A Global Effort To Save Children From Harm

The FBI released the below information:

With every report to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and every law enforcement investigation dealing with child sexual abuse material, a largely unseen—but urgent—effort begins to identify and aid the child or children being harmed in the images.

It is an effort that relies on technology and painstaking investigative work—where details as small as a baseball cap or a soda cup have provided the clues that allowed investigators to find a child.

At the FBI, the Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP) works alongside Operation Rescue Me to explore every possible avenue in identifying a child victim of sexual abuse. Operation Rescue Me is focused on rescuing the child victim from further abuse and exploitation. In pursuit of that same goal, ECAP seeks national and international exposure of unknown adults whose faces and/or distinguishing characteristics are visible in images of child sexual abuse.

Special Agent Karen Jurden, who heads both programs within the FBI’s Violent Crime Section, explained the two programs this way: “Our goal is to identify victims. But if we’ve exhausted everything we can do on the child, and we have an image where an adult does appear, we will pursue that angle.”

She stressed that the adults featured on ECAP are not always suspected of wrongdoing. “We know that person has knowledge of the victim,” she said.

“There is nothing better than knowing publicity has helped our agents solve one of these cases and identify a child,” said Chris Allen, chief, FBI Investigative Publicity and Public Affairs Unit.

With a larger number of eyes on these pictures, there is a greater likelihood that someone will spot a person or item they recognize and help point law enforcement in the right direction.

“Every time we have a new case, it draws people’s attention to older cases as well,” Jurden said. “People have helped us solve older cases that way.”

“For every ECAP case we work on, we use every available publicity tool to ensure the maximum number of people will see the images,” said Chris Allen, chief of the FBI’s Investigative Publicity and Public Affairs Unit. “There is nothing better than knowing publicity has helped our agents solve one of these cases and identify a child.”

The Effort to Identify Every Child Victim 

When the FBI (or any law enforcement agency) seizes child sexual abuse material from an offender—and Jurden said many offenders have hundreds or thousands of files—the FBI brings the material to NCMEC.

NCMEC runs a digital scan that checks the material against images and videos that already exist in their system, explained Shelley Allwang, manager of NCMEC’s Child Victim Identification Program. The process allows NCMEC to see which victims are already known to them. These children have either already been reached or NCMEC is actively working with law enforcement both domestically and internationally to identify them. The most pressing goal, Allwang said, is to find “the children we have never seen before, because these could be children who are being victimized right now.”

Allwang said NCMEC has a number of high-tech and human tools to help in the process of identifying these victims, but if they reach a dead end, they return the case to the investigators who brought them the material. “We are not law enforcement,” Allwang stressed, “so we can only use the tools we have.”

If the file began with an FBI case, the charge of identifying that still unknown victim comes back to FBI agents and becomes an active case within the Operation Rescue Me program and possibly ECAP.

Jurden and Allwang both acknowledge that the number of these cases and the volume of images can give rise to feelings of both fury and hopelessness. But while the scale of the crime is daunting, these cases are not being lumped together by law enforcement or by NCMEC. The two groups are committed to the heartbreaking work of cataloging each image and finding the children in them.

“If you look at the totality, you won’t sleep at night,” Jurden said. “The answer is to take it case by case. It is rewarding to wake up each day and know you’re doing something. And to know I’m not the only one doing this.”

Allwang also said she is comforted both by thinking of her impact on individual children and by the knowledge that there is a global network of people who are fighting alongside her. “So many people from so many different professions are invested in solving this problem—technology companies, law enforcement, advocates, media, prosecutors, judges,” Allwang said. “They are all motivated by the mission.”

Allwang said she is also moved by the bravery and resilience she sees in survivors of child sexual abuse. “I see the worst of humanity,” she said. “But I also see the best.”

The FBI's Operation Rescue Me has identified more than 600 children since 2008. ECAP was created in 2004 and it has investigated 41 cases. The program has successfully identified 28 of the individuals profiled and found 45 child victims. The remaining cases remain active investigations. And the FBI will stay on them—case by case, child by child.

Attorney General Applauds FBI's Massive Sex Trafficking Crackdown

The U.S Justice Department released the below information:

On Oct. 18, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), announced that 84 minors were recovered and 120 traffickers were arrested as part of Operation Cross Country XI, a nationwide effort focusing on underage human trafficking that ran from Oct. 12 to 15. 

The Attorney General made the following statement on this crackdown:

“Every American has the right to be safe from violence and exploitation, and it is the mission of this Department to help secure that right.  Today we take the next step toward that mission with the arrest of more than 120 alleged sex traffickers and the recovery of more than 80 trafficking survivors.

“I want to thank and commend the dedicated men and women of the FBI, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and our local, state and international law enforcement partners who made these arrests and rescues possible.  They have delivered results that make this country safer and show clearly that collaboration makes us more effective in combating child exploitation.

“The Justice Department will continue to pursue our mission and, to that end, we will remain tireless in our efforts to rescue victims and put those who victimize children behind bars.”

  

From the FBI Release:

This is the 11th iteration of the FBI-led Operation Cross Country (OCC), which took place this year in 55 FBI field offices and involved 78 state and local task forces, consisting of hundreds of law enforcement partners. This year’s coordinated operations took place with several international partners, including Canada (Operation Northern Spotlight), the United Kingdom (Aident 8), Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines.

“We at the FBI have no greater mission than to protect our nation’s children from harm.  Unfortunately, the number of traffickers arrested—and the number of children recovered—reinforces why we need to continue to do this important work,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “This operation isn't just about taking traffickers off the street. It's about making sure we offer help and a way out to these young victims who find themselves caught in a vicious cycle of abuse."

As part of Operation Cross Country XI, FBI agents and task force officers staged operations in hotels, casinos, and truck stops, as well as on street corners and Internet websites. The youngest victim recovered during this year’s operation was 3 months old, and the average age of victims recovered during the operation was 15 years old. Minors recovered during Cross Country Operations are offered assistance from state protective services and the FBI’s Victim Services Division. Depending on the level of need, victims are offered medical and mental health counseling, as well as a number of other services.

“Child sex trafficking is happening in every community across America, and at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, we’re working to combat this problem every day,” said NCMEC President and CEO John Clark. “We’re proud to work with the FBI on Operation Cross Country to help find and recover child victims. We hope OCC generates more awareness about this crisis impacting our nation’s children.”

Operation Cross Country XI is part of the FBI’s Innocence Lost National Initiative, which began in 2003 and has yielded more than 6,500 child identifications and locations. For additional information on Operation Cross Country XI and the Innocence Lost initiative, please visit www.fbi.gov.

Examples of stories from various cities that took part in Operation Cross Country XI:

On October 13th, FBI Denver recovered two minor girls—one 3-month-old and one 5-year-old. The subject, a friend of the children's family, offered an undercover officer access to the two children for sexual purposes in exchange for $600. The FBI is working with Child Protective Services to conduct a forensic interview and secure safe placement of the children. The subject was placed under arrest.

Also on October 13th, a 16-year old female victim was recovered by FBI El Paso, after an undercover agent called an online advertisement for entertainment. Shortly thereafter, the agent met with a 21-year-old female, who offered a fee of $200 to engage in sexual intercourse with her and another female, the 16-year-old victim. Further investigations revealed that a second adult female drove the minor and the 21-year-old to the undercover’s location. Both female subjects have been arrested on federal charges.  

Note: You can watch an FBI video clip via the below link: 

https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/operation-cross-country-xi?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery 

FBI: Operation Cross Country Recovering Victims of Child Sex Trafficking

The FBI web site offers a report on Operation Cross Country.

Operation Cross Country, a nationwide law enforcement action that took place last week and focused on underage victims of prostitution, has concluded with the recovery of 149 sexually exploited children and the arrests of more than 150 pimps and other individuals.

The FBI, in partnership with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), conducted the annual action—the ninth and largest such enforcement to date—as part of the Bureau’s Innocence Lost National Initiative.

“Our mission is to protect the American people—especially our children—from harm,” said FBI Director James Comey.” When kids are treated as a commodity in seedy hotels and on dark roadsides, we must rescue them from their nightmare and severely punish those responsible for that horror. We simply must continue to work with our partners to end the scourge of sex trafficking in our country.”

“Human trafficking is a monstrous and devastating crime that steals lives and degrades our nation,” said Attorney General Loretta Lynch. “As a result of the FBI’s outstanding coordination and exemplary efforts alongside state and local partners during Operation Cross Country, more children will sleep safely tonight, and more wrongdoers will face the judgment of our criminal justice system.”

You can read the rest of the report and watch a video of a take down via the below link: 

https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2015/october/operation-cross-country/operation-cross-country?utm_campaign=email-Daily&utm_medium=email&utm_source=fbi-top-stories&utm_content=476760 

FBI: Help Us Catch A Child Predator

The FBI released the above photo and the below information:

The FBI is seeking the public’s help to stop a child predator.

The unidentified individual we are seeking is known only as John Doe 28. In November 2012, online video of the man engaging in sexually explicit activities with a young boy was reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), an organization that works closely with the Bureau to stop child predators.

The video contains a brief image of the alleged predator, which investigators hope will lead to his identification—and the recovery of the exploited child. “Subjects who show their faces in child pornography are not typical,” said Special Agent Karen Jurden. “It is our hope that someone will recognize this individual and come forward. We were able to recover a very clear image of John Doe 28.”

Working with NCMEC, investigators in our Violent Crimes Against Children program have enhanced other details from the video that could be clues to help identify the suspect. For example, the video shows the individual and the victim inside a residence with what appears to be a blue chair and a picture hanging on a wall in the background. Someone familiar with the house might easily recognize the chair. Also, John Doe 28 is wearing wire-framed glasses and a burgundy T-shirt with a fish logo on it.

There are no details linking the suspect to a particular area, but Jurden said investigators believe he may be a U.S. citizen because he speaks one word during the video—“careful”—which is in English.

“Sometimes we will get some type of identifier that narrows down the geographic region,” said Jurden, who has been investigating crimes against children for the last four years, “but that didn’t happen in this case. That’s why we are asking for the public’s help nationwide.”

The video is just over two minutes long and was recovered during the arrest of a San Francisco man on child pornography charges. “The video was part of his collection,” Jurden added, explaining that sexually explicit videos and images of children are often traded anonymously through online forums.

The efforts to identify and apprehend John Doe 28 are part of the FBI’s Operation Rescue Me and Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP) initiatives and represent a longstanding partnership with NCMEC.

Operation Rescue Me identifies child victims of sexual exploitation by using sophisticated image analysis to obtain evidence. ECAP seeks public and media assistance to help identify the John and Jane Does who display their faces—and other distinguishing characteristics such as tattoos—in pornographic images and videos of children.

Since the inception of ECAP in 2004, 28 John/Jane Does have been investigated; 20 of these cases have been successfully resolved so far. These investigations have led to the identification of nearly 70 child victims.

We need your help. John Doe 28 appears to be a Caucasian male in his 30s or 40s who has a receding hairline and wears wire-framed glasses. Anyone with information should submit a tip online or call the FBI’s toll-free tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

“We need to identify John Doe 28,” Jurden said, “so we can make sure no harm comes to that little boy.”

Operation Guardian: Nationwide Sweep By U.S. Marshals Puts 345 Dangerous Sex Offenders Behind Bars

The U.S. Justice Department released the below information today:

Today the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) concluded Operation Guardian, a three-year, national initiative specifically targeting the country’s most dangerous noncompliant sex offenders. Deputy Marshals and law enforcement partners arrested 345 individuals who had failed to register with state authorities as required by law.

 

Marshals worked with state and local officials to identify specific non-registering fugitives based on their danger to the public and prior convictions for sex offenses.  As of today, USMS investigators have located 427 offenders of 444 sought (or 96 percent of those targeted), including 82 individuals found outside the United States. These individuals represent more than 500 prior convictions for sexual offenses.

 

“I’d like to thank each of the Deputy U.S. Marshals and state and local law enforcement officials who contributed to the success of this important operation.  These dedicated professionals have helped to make our communities safer by taking dangerous fugitives off the streets,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “Today’s announcement sends a clear message: that the Justice Department and its allies are firmly committed to safeguarding our nation’s young people from all forms of exploitation and abuse.  And we are determined to bring noncompliant sex offenders to justice.”

 

“The U.S. Marshals Service will not tolerate noncompliant and violent sex offenders who evade the law.   The message we send to these individuals is there is nowhere you can hide,” said USMS Director Stacia Hylton. “Operation Guardian enabled us to bring to bear the full weight of international, federal, state and local law enforcement resources and intelligence to locate the most egregious sex offenders—those who have victimized innocent children.”

 

The USMS assigns 129 criminal investigators to conduct sex offender, non-registrant investigations on a full-time basis. Operation Guardian was a collaborative effort led by the USMS in cooperation with Interpol, the Diplomatic Security Service, Customs and Border Protection, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

 

“The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is proud to partner with the U.S. Marshals in helping to protect our nation’s children,” said John Ryan, chief executive officer, NCMEC.  “We applaud the overwhelming success of Operation Guardian which located hundreds of the country’s most dangerous noncompliant sex offenders.”

 

Among those arrested during Operation Guardian were:

 

·          Lee Roy Ramirez, one of “Wisconsin’s Most Wanted,” arrested on April 22, 2013, in Portland, Ore. Ramirez was wanted by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections since 2003 for probation violation on an original charge of second degree sexual assault of a child. The intensive fugitive investigation covered several states and ultimately led investigators to Oregon. Ramirez is in custody in Oregon awaiting extradition back to Wisconsin.

 

·          James K. Jenkins, arrested on Oct. 9, 2012, in Garland, Texas. Jenkins was wanted in DeKalb County, Ga., for failure to register as a sex offender and for probation violation based on a weapons offense.   His original offense occurred Dec. 15, 1999, when he raped a 15-year-old girl. He was convicted of statutory rape and sentenced to three years in prison, 7 years of probation and required to register as a sex offender in the state of Georgia. Jenkins moved and did not notify the probation office or the sheriff’s office of his location. In October 2012, a Crimestoppers program received an online tip that placed Jenkins in Garland. Investigators conducted surveillance and arrested Jenkins with a loaded .38-caliber handgun in close proximity.

 

·          David Sherant, arrested Oct. 3, 2012, by Deputy U.S. Marshals from the District of Nevada and members of the Las Vegas SOAP Task Force. Sherant was wanted by the Utah Department of Corrections for violating his term of supervision by failing to register as a sex offender. He was convicted in August 2000 of sexual exploitation of a minor. After release from the Utah State Prison, Sherant absconded parole, and failed to register as a sex offender as required by law. Investigators learned that the 31-year-old Sherant was passing himself off as 18-year-old “Mikey Miller” currently residing in Las Vegas.   On Oct. 15, 2012, Sherant was extradited to Utah. His probation was revoked and he was remanded to the custody of the Utah Department of Corrections.

 

·          Darrell Craig Sinclair, arrested on Feb. 28, 2012, in Mexico. Sinclair was wanted by the Riverside County, Calif., Sheriff’s Department for almost 10 years on a $500,000 arrest warrant for failure to register as a sex offender. He was previously convicted of one count of lewd acts against a child in Los Angeles County in 1976, and seven counts of lewd acts against a child in Orange County, Calif., in 1983. USMS investigators determined that Sinclair was in Ajajic, Mexico, and he was taken into custody by Mexican Immigration Officials. Mexican immigration officials escorted Sinclair to Los Angeles International Airport, where he was arrested by Deputy U.S. Marshals.

 

·          Michael Rybkin, arrested on Nov. 9, 2010, in New York. Rybkin was wanted by the Hudson County, N.J., Sheriff’s Department for a parole violation and by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on a warrant of deportation, and is a sex offender in the State of New Jersey. Rybkin is a German citizen. USMS investigators developed information that Rybkin was residing in New York City and using the internet.   Rybkin, who was previously banned from New York City Public Libraries, was observed masturbating in front of two female children in October 2010 at a library, but eluded capture.   On Oct. 27, 2010, Rybkin was charged by the USMS with violating the Adam Walsh Act and a federal warrant was issued for his arrest.   On Nov. 9, 2010, USMS investigators arrested Rybkin at the Grand Central Branch of the New York City Public Library. On March 10, 2011, Rybkin pleaded guilty to the Adam Walsh Act violation, and was sentenced Jan. 19, 2012, by U.S. District Court Judge William Pauley to 63 months incarceration and lifetime supervised release on electronic monitoring.

 

The Behavioral Analysis Unit at the USMS National Sex Offender Targeting Center worked with the investigators to identify information related to the fugitives across a number of personal or social dimensions, including past sexual offending behavior.   The prior convictions of the located offenders represent hundreds of victims and   thousands of known sexual assaults. Most of the sexual assault events were engaged against children, and many involved extreme violence.

 

The NCMEC estimates more than 700,000 sex offenders reside in the United States and that more than 100,000 are classified as noncompliant or unregistered.  Since its inception in 2006, the Sex Offender Investigations Branch has planned and executed more than 900 sex offender compliance and enforcement operations.   During these operations, the USMS partnered with more than 4,800 state and local law enforcement agencies to conduct more than 150,000 compliance checks.