Investigating
Crimes Against Children
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) exercises jurisdiction
and investigative responsibilities pursuant to Federal
statutes addressing various crimes against children
(CAC). Federal law defines a "child" as
a minor under the age of eighteen. The FBI investigations
involving CAC generally include violations of Federal
statutes relating to:
- Sexual
exploitation of children
- Sexual
exploitation of children facilitated
by an online computer
- Possession,
production and/or distribution
of child pornography
- Possession,
production, distribution
and/or downloading of child pornography
facilitated by an online computer
- Interstate
transportation of obscene material
- Interstate
transportation of children
for sexual activity
- Child
abduction
- Domestic/international
parental kidnapping
- Physical/sexual
abuse of a child on a government reservation
- National
Sex Offender Registry matters
- Violations
of the Child Support Recovery Act
Innocent
Images National Initiative
The FBI's
Innocent Images National Initiative (IINI) is an
intelligence driven, proactive, multi-agency investigative
initiative to combat child pornography/child sexual
exploitation (CP/CSE) facilitated through the use
of online computers.
The IINI
was predicated upon an investigation that led to
two suspects being identified who had been sexually
exploiting children over a 25-year period. Investigation
of their activities revealed that adults were routinely
using the Internet and other online services to transmit
child pornography and/or entice minors into engaging
in illicit sexual activity.
The mission
of the IINI is to:
- Identify,
investigate, and prosecute sexual
predators who use the Internet and other
online services to sexually exploit children.
- Establish
a law enforcement presence on the
Internet as a deterrent to subjects that exploit
children.
- Identify
and rescue witting and unwitting child
victims.
The IINI
specifically focuses on:
- Those
persons who indicate a willingness to
travel interstate for the purpose of engaging
in sexual activity with a minor.
- Major
producers and/or distributors of child pornography.
To proactively
combat this crime problem, IINI undercover operations
are being conducted in FBI field offices by task
forces that combine the resources of the FBI with
other Federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
Innocent
Images investigations involve:
- Internet
websites that post child pornography
- Chat
rooms
- Internet
News Groups
- Internet
Relay Chat (IRC) Channels
- File
Servers ("FServes")
- Bulletin
Board Systems (BBBs)
FBI Agents
and task force officers go online undercover utilizing
fictitious screen names and engaging in real-time
chat or E-mail conversations with subjects to obtain
evidence of criminal activity.
Investigation
of specific online locations can be initiated through:
- A
citizen complaint
- A
complaint by an online service provider
- A
referral from a law enforcement agency
The IINI
provides centralized coordination and analysis of
case information that, by its very nature, is national
and international in scope. Therefore, the IINI achieves
unprecedented coordination with other Federal, state,
local, and international governments.
As
a result, each of the FBI's 56 field offices are
investigating
cases developed by the IINI. International investigations
are arranged through the FBI's Legal Attaché program,
which coordinates investigations with appropriate
foreign law enforcement agencies.
IINI
training is provided to Federal, state, local and
foreign law enforcement agencies on an ongoing basis
to keep them abreast of the techniques and technology
required to investigate the sexual exploitation of
children facilitated by online computers. Presentations
are also provided to non-law enforcement, such as
civic organizations and parent groups, to further
the objectives of the IINI.
Crimes Against Children Investigations
FBI HEADQUARTERS
The Crimes Against Children Unit (CACU) was established in 1997 within the
Violent Crime and Major Offenders Section, Criminal Investigative Division,
FBI Headquarters, to specifically focus on CAC. The CACU is staffed by
Supervisory Special Agents and support professionals who:
- Address
all crimes under the FBI's jurisdiction
that involve the victimization of children
- Provide
program management and field wide
investigative oversight of those critical FBI
operations
- Coordinate
training throughout the law enforcement community
To make
full use of all available resources, an FBI Supervisory
Special Agent is assigned full-time at the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
to coordinate the cross utilization of FBI and NCMEC
resources to facilitate the most effective FBI response
to child abductions, parental kidnappings, child
pornography and other sexual exploitation of children
matters.
NCMEC's
free services include poster distribution, age enhancement
of photographs, and many other resources. The NCMEC
can be contacted online at www.missingkids.com or
through their 24-hour multilingual hotline at 1 800-THE-LOST.
NCMEC's business telephone number is (703) 274-3900.
FBI
FIELD OFFICES
Individual FBI field offices throughout the country serve as the primary point
of contact for persons requesting FBI assistance. Each FBI field office has
at least two Special Agents designated as Crimes Against Children Coordinator
who:
- Use
all available FBI investigative, forensic,
tactical, informational, and behavioral science
resources to investigate crimes against children.
- Coordinate
their investigations with appropriate
Federal, state and local law enforcement
agencies and prosecutors.
- Utilize
multi-agency, multi-disciplinary CAC
Resource Teams consisting of law enforcement, prosecutive, social service
and other professionals.
- CAC
resource teams are capable of
effectively investigating and prosecuting
incidents that cross legal and geographical
jurisdictional boundaries.
FBI
NATIONAL CENTER
FOR THE ANALYSIS OF VIOLENT CRIME
Child abductions, the mysterious disappearance of children and serial murder
are among the most difficult crimes to resolve and require immediate dedication
of resources. The FBI's National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC),
located at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, has a FBI rapid response
element that addresses these crimes by:
- Providing
operational assistance to FBI field
offices and Federal, state and local law
enforcement agencies involved in violent
crime investigations.
- Providing
onsite investigative support through
technical and forensic resource coordination.
- Applying
the most current expertise available
in matters involving missing and exploited children.
Upon
being notified that a child has been abducted, FBI
field offices and the NCAVC coordinate an immediate
response to the abduction:
- Special
Agents join other law enforcement
in coordinating and conducting the
comprehensive neighborhood investigation.
- FBI
Evidence Response Teams may conduct
the forensic investigation of the abduction site.
- A
Rapid Start Team may immediately be
deployed to coordinate and track investigative
leads, which often number in the thousands.
NCAVC
Services also include:
- Profiles
of unknown and known offenders
- Crime
analysis and linkage utilizing the
Violent Criminal Apprehension Program
(VICAP)
- Investigative
strategies
- Interview
and interrogation strategies
- Behavioral
assessments
- Trial
preparation and prosecutive strategy
- Expert
testimony
- FBI
Laboratory services
- Research
regarding child abductions and
serial homicides
- Coordination
of other resources
- Training
for the law enforcement community
Training
The
FBI also offers an extensive training program for
the
law enforcement community. Training in a broad spectrum
of topics is offered to bonafide law enforcement
personnel in settings throughout the United States,
around the world, and at the FBI Academy. Each FBI
field office has an assigned training coordinator.
International requests for training can be made through
FBI Legal Attachés located within American
Embassies.
For further
information about the FBI's Crimes Against Children
services and to search your state's on-line sex offender
registry, go to www.fbi.gov. To request immediate
assistance, contact a Crimes Against Children Coordinator
at your local FBI field office:
Albany
(518) 465-7551
Albuquerque (505) 224-2000
Anchorage (907) 258-5322
Atlanta (404) 679-9000
Baltimore (410) 265-8080
Birmingham (205) 326-6166
Boston (617) 742-5533
Buffalo (716) 856-7800
Charlotte (704) 377-9200
Chicago (312) 431-1333
Cincinnati (513) 421-4310
Cleveland (216) 522-1400
Columbia (803) 551-4200
Dallas (214) 720-2200
Denver (303) 629-7171
Detroit (313) 965-2323
El Paso (915) 832-5000
Honolulu (808) 521-1411
Houston (713) 693-5000
Indianapolis (317) 639-3301
Jackson (601) 948-5000
Jacksonville (904) 721-1211
Kansas City (816) 221-6100
Knoxville (423) 544-0751
Las Vegas (702) 385-1281
Little Rock (501) 221-9100
Los Angeles (310) 477-6565
Louisville (502) 583-3941
Memphis (901) 747-4300
Miami (305) 944-9101
Milwaukee (414) 276-4684
Minneapolis (612) 376-3200
Mobile (334) 438-3674
Newark (973) 792-3000
New Haven (203) 777-6311
New Orleans (504) 816-3000
New York City (212) 384-1000
Norfolk (757) 455-0100
Oklahoma City (405) 290-7770
Omaha (402) 493-8688
Philadelphia (215) 418-4000
Phoenix (602) 279-5511
Pittsburgh (412) 471-2000
Portland (503) 224-4181
Richmond (804) 261-1044
Sacramento (916) 481-9110
Salt Lake City (801) 579-1400
San Antonio (210) 225-6741
San Diego (858) 565-1255
San Francisco (415) 553-7400
San Juan (787) 754-6000
Seattle (206) 622-0460
Springfield (217) 522-9675
St. Louis (314) 231-4324
Tampa (813) 273-4566
Washington DC (202) 278-2000
Federal
Bureau of Investigation
J. Edgar Hoover Building
Crimes Against Children Unit
Room 11163
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20535-0001
(202) 324-3666
www.fbi.gov
Individual
FBI Field Offices serve as primary points of contact
for persons requesting FBI assistance. For further
information about FBI services or to request assistance,
please contact a Crimes Against Children Coordinator
at your local FBI Field Office.