Combating Child Pornography
Federal Agencies Coordinate Law Enforcement Efforts, but an Opportunity Exists for Further Enhancement Gao ID: GAO-03-272 December 2, 2002The trafficking of child pornography through increasingly sophisticated electronic media, including Internet chat rooms, newsgroups, and peer-to-peer networks, has made such images more readily accessible. These technological advances have created more challenges for law enforcement, including requiring effective coordination to combat this crime. The federal law enforcement agencies that play a role in investigating child pornography are the FBI, Customs, Postal Inspection Service, and Secret Service. This report provides information on the coordination of federal efforts to combat child pornography. Specifically, it (1) identifies mechanisms federal agencies have in place to combat child pornography and (2) provides information on an opportunity to further enhance coordination among federal law enforcement agencies.
Federal agencies responsible for combating child pornography have various coordination mechanisms in place for combating this crime. These coordinated efforts have contributed to increases in the number of federal child pornography cases prosecuted over the past 5 years. Federal coordination mechanisms to combat child pornography include monthly meetings of officials from key federal law enforcement agencies, Justice attorneys' efforts to coordinate and consolidate prosecution of cases, multiple federal task forces to coordinate services and investigative activities, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) provides child pornography tips to designated law enforcement agencies. Although law enforcement officials and leading communication service providers generally view current coordination mechanisms as effective, an opportunity exists to further enhance information sharing. Remote computing and electronic communication service providers are mandated under the Protection of Children from Sexual Predators Act of 1998 to report all instances of child pornography to NCMEC. Currently, FBI and Customs have direct access to these child pornography-related tips reported to NCMEC by communication service providers. Despite their role in combating child pornography, the Postal Inspection Service and the Secret Service lack direct access to these reports. Representatives from the Customs Service, Postal Inspection Service, and Secret Service reviewed a draft of this report and concurred with the information presented in the report. However, Justice in its official comments believed that GAO's recommendation for more tip sharing was unnecessary, but agreed to continue to study the issue.
RecommendationsOur recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.
Director: Team: Phone:GAO-03-272, Combating Child Pornography: Federal Agencies Coordinate Law Enforcement Efforts, but an Opportunity Exists for Further Enhancement
This is the accessible text file for GAO report number GAO-03-272
entitled 'Combating Child Pornography: Federal Agencies Coordinate Law
Enforcement Efforts, but an Opportunity Exists for Further Enhancement'
which was released on December 02, 2002.
This text file was formatted by the U.S. General Accounting Office
(GAO) to be accessible to users with visual impairments, as part of a
longer term project to improve GAO products‘ accessibility. Every
attempt has been made to maintain the structural and data integrity of
the original printed product. Accessibility features, such as text
descriptions of tables, consecutively numbered footnotes placed at the
end of the file, and the text of agency comment letters, are provided
but may not exactly duplicate the presentation or format of the printed
version. The portable document format (PDF) file is an exact electronic
replica of the printed version. We welcome your feedback. Please E-mail
your comments regarding the contents or accessibility features of this
document to Webmaster@gao.gov.
Report to the Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Government Reform,
House of Representatives:
United States General Accounting Office:
GAO:
November 2002:
Combating Child Pornography:
Federal Agencies Coordinate Law Enforcement Efforts, but an Opportunity
Exists for Further Enhancement:
GAO-03-272:
GAO Highlights:
Highlights of GAO-03-272, a report to the Ranking Minority Member,
Committee on Government Reform, House of Representatives:
November 2002:
Combatting Child Pornography:
Federal Agencies Coordinate Law Enforcement Efforts, but an Opportunity
Exists for Further Enhancement
Why GAO Did This Study:
The trafficking of child pornography through increasingly sophisticated
electronic media, including Internet chat rooms, newsgroups, and peer-
to-
peer networks, has made such images more readily accessible. These
technological advances have created more challenges for law
enforcement,
including requiring effective coordination to combat this crime. The
federal law enforcement agencies that play a role in investigating
child pornography are the FBI, Customs, Postal Inspection Service,
and Secret Service.
This report provides information on the coordination of federal efforts
to combat child pornography. Specifically, it (1) identifies
mechanisms
federal agencies have in place to combat child pornography and (2)
provides
information on an opportunity to further enhance coordination among
federal
law enforcement agencies.
To further enhance coordination of key law enforcement agencies‘
efforts
to combat child pornography, GAO recommends that the Attorney General
include the Postal Inspection Service and Secret Service, as well as
the
FBI and Customs as agencies designated to receive direct access to
child
pornography tips reported to NCMEC by remote computing or electronic
communication service providers.
What GAO Found:
Federal agencies responsible for combating child pornography have
various coordination mechanisms in place for combating this crime.
These coordinated efforts have contributed to increases in the number
of federal child pornography cases prosecuted over the past 5 years.
Federal coordination mechanisms to combat child pornography include:
* monthly meetings of officials from key federal law enforcement
agencies,
* Justice attorneys‘ efforts to coordinate and consolidate prosecution
of
cases,
* multiple federal task forces to coordinate services and investigative
activities,
* national program for sharing images of exploited children among law
enforcement agencies, and
* National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) provides
child pornography tips to designated law enforcement agencies.
Although law enforcement officials and leading communication service
providers generally view current coordination mechanisms as effective,
an opportunity exists to further enhance information sharing. Remote
computing and electronic communication service providers are mandated
under the Protection of Children from Sexual Predators Act of 1998 to
report all instances of child pornography to NCMEC. Currently, FBI and
Customs have direct access to these child pornography-related tips
reported to NCMEC by communication service providers. Despite their
role
in combating child pornography, the Postal Inspection Service and the
Secret Service lack direct access to these reports.
Representatives from the Customs Service, Postal Inspection Service,
and Secret Service reviewed a draft of this report and concurred with
the information presented in the report. However, Justice in its
official
comments believed that GAO‘s recommendation for more tip sharing was
unnecessary, but agreed to continue to study the issue.
Figure:
[See PDF for image]
[End of figure]
What GAO Recommends:
To further enhance coordination of key law enforcement agencies‘
efforts to combat child pornography, GAO recommends that the Attorney
General include the Postal Inspection Service and Secret Service, as
well as the FBI and Customs as agencies designated to receive direct
access to child pornography tips reported to NCMEC by remote computing
or electronic communication service providers.
www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-03-272.
To view the full report, including the scope and methodology, click
on the link above. For more information, contact Laurie Ekstrand on
(202) 512-8777 or ekstrandL@gao.gov.
Contents:
Letter:
Results in Brief:
Background:
Mechanisms in Place Have Coordinated Federal Efforts:
Opportunity Exists to Further Enhance Coordination:
Conclusions:
Recommendation for Executive Action:
Agency Comments and Our Evaluation:
Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology:
Appendix II: Key Federal Agencies and Federally Funded
Entities Involved in Combating Child Pornography:
U.S. Department of Justice:
U.S. Department of Treasury:
U.S. Postal Service:
Federal Agency Task Force on Missing and Exploited Children:
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children:
Appendix III: Federal Law Enforcement Agencies Child
Pornography-Related Caseload:
Appendix IV: GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments:
GAO Contacts:
Staff Acknowledgments:
Tables:
Table 1: Federal Agencies Involved in Combating Child Pornography:
Table 2: Agencies Participating in the Federal Agency Task Force for
Missing and Exploited Children:
Figures:
Figure 1: Federal Child Pornography Cases Prosecuted by Fiscal Year:
Figure 2: NCMEC‘s Exploited Child Unit:
Figure 3: FBI Personnel Dedicated for Combating Child Exploitation:
Figure 4: FBI Funds Obligated for Combating Child Exploitation:
Figure 5: CEOS Personnel Dedicated for Combating Child Exploitation and
Obscenity Offenses:
Figure 6: CEOS Funds Obligated for Combating Federal Child Exploitation
and Obscenity Offenses:
Figure 7: OJJDP Grants to ICAC Task Forces:
Figure 8: Hours Spent by Customs Agents on Child Exploitation
Investigations:
Figure 9: Customs Estimated Child Exploitation Obligations:
Figure 10: Postal Inspectors Assigned to Child Exploitation
Investigations:
Figure 11: Postal Inspection Service Funds Obligated for Combating
Child Exploitation:
Figure 12: Child Exploitation Cases Opened by the FBI:
Figure 13: Customs Arrests for Child Exploitation:
Figure 14: Postal Inspection Service Arrests for Child Pornography:
Figure 15: Secret Service Cyber Tips Processed:
Figure 16: Secret Service Field Office Child Pornography Investigative
Caseload:
Abbreviations:
FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation:
CEOS: Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section:
DOJ: Department of Justice:
ECU: Exploited Child Unit:
EOUSA: Executive Office for United States Attorneys:
ICAC: Internet Crimes Against Children:
NCMEC: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children:
OJJDP: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention:
USAO: United States Attorneys Office:
Letter:
November 29, 2002:
The Honorable Henry A. Waxman
Ranking Minority Member
Committee on Government Reform
House of Representatives:
The Internet, while changing the way our society communicates, has also
changed the nature of many crimes, including child pornography. Child
pornography, as defined by the Supreme Court, is material ’that
visually depict[s] sexual conduct by children below a specified
age.“[Footnote 1] The trafficking of child pornography through
increasingly sophisticated electronic media, including Internet chat
rooms, newsgroups, and peer-to-peer networks,[Footnote 2] has made
these images more readily accessible. Multiple federal agencies play
roles in combating child pornography, many of them as a part of an
overall effort to combat child exploitation in general.[Footnote 3]
Additionally, state and local law enforcement agencies may also have
jurisdiction over certain child exploitation cases and may work
collaboratively with federal agencies to combat child pornography.
While technology has created more challenges for law enforcement, it
also requires federal agencies to coordinate efforts to work well
together in identifying crimes, targeting suspects, investigating
cases, and gathering evidence.
This report responds to your request that we assess the coordination of
federal efforts to combat child pornography. As agreed with your
office, our objectives for this report were to (1) identify mechanisms
federal agencies have in place to coordinate their efforts to combat
child pornography and (2) determine whether opportunities exist to
enhance coordination among federal law enforcement agencies. To achieve
these objectives, among other things, we (1) interviewed appropriate
officials from federal agencies involved in combating child
pornography; the private sector, including a nonprofit organization;
and leading electronic communications companies; (2) collected
budgetary, resource allocation, and caseload data from each of the key
federal agencies involved in combating child pornography; and (3)
reviewed child pornography cases involving multiple federal agencies.
We limited our scope to the domestic efforts of key federal law
enforcement agencies involved in combating child pornography. We do not
address coordination of federal agencies with state and local efforts.
For additional detail on our objectives, scope, and methodology, see
appendix I.
Results in Brief:
Federal agencies have various mechanisms in place to coordinate their
efforts to combat child pornography. These include, (1) monthly
meetings of officials from key federal agencies involved in combating
child pornography; (2) the sharing of expertise among federal
prosecutors and the consolidation of federal investigative efforts; (3)
task forces to coordinate federal investigative activities; (4) a
national program to facilitate the sharing of images of exploited
children among federal agencies working to combat child pornography;
and (5) the federally sponsored National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children (NCMEC) that, among other things, serves as a
mechanism to coordinate child pornography tips among federal law
enforcement agencies.
Although these coordination efforts are working well, some improvements
to information sharing can be made. Agency officials we interviewed
involved in combating child pornography view federal coordination
efforts to combat this crime as effective. Specifically, the federal
law enforcement agencies with primary jurisdiction in the area of child
pornography (Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI),
U.S. Customs Service, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service) generally
view their current coordination mechanisms as effective.[Footnote 4] In
addition, three of the leading electronic communications service
providers, including two of the largest Internet service providers,
report no significant problems with the coordination of federal law
enforcement efforts. These entities report that it has been rare that
they receive duplicate subpoenas from the federal law enforcement
community relating to the same investigation. However, an opportunity
exists to improve information sharing that could further enhance
federal coordination efforts. Not all relevant federal agencies have
direct access to child pornography-related tips reported to NCMEC by
remote computing service and electronic communication service
providers[Footnote 5] under the Protection of Children from Sexual
Predators Act of 1998. To obtain direct access, the agency must be
designated by the Attorney General.
We make a recommendation in this report regarding the designation of
additional federal agencies to receive direct access to child
pornography tips reported to NCMEC by remote computing service and
electronic communication service providers:
We provided a draft of this report to the Attorney General, Secretary
of the Treasury, and the Chief of the Postal Inspection Service for
comment. Officials from the Customs Service, U.S. Postal Inspection
Service, and Secret Service generally agreed with the report‘s findings
and supported our recommendation. The Department of Justice, while
agreeing with our finding that federal agencies have mechanisms in
place to coordinate their efforts, did not fully support our conclusion
and recommendation that providing the Postal Inspection Service and
Secret Service direct access to tips reported to NCMEC by remote
computing service and electronic communication service providers would
further enhance federal coordination efforts. DOJ commented that FBI
and Customs, the agencies that currently have direct access, can and do
share these tips with Secret Service and Postal Inspection Service, as
appropriate, and DOJ believes that this coordination has been
effective. However, DOJ is studying this issue as it finalizes
regulations implementing the statute. DOJ also commented that our
report does not address the impact that current statutory restrictions
have on the sharing of these tips with state and local Internet Crimes
Against Children (ICAC) task forces.
We recognize that, although the Postal Inspection Service and Secret
Service have not been designated to receive tips reported by remote
computing service and electronic communication service providers
directly from NCMEC, they may receive tips from a designated agency if
a government attorney makes a determination under the statute that it
is necessary to grant access to assist the attorney in enforcing
federal criminal law. Although DOJ questions whether the Postal
Inspection Service and Secret Service, therefore, need direct access,
we fail to see how such indirect access fully facilitates law
enforcement efforts. Because we believe that the Postal Inspection
Service and Secret Service, which continue to be actively involved in
child pornography investigations, should have direct access to such
tips to better enable them to (1) pursue leads or coordinate efforts
with other law enforcement agencies that may require their expertise
and (2) avoid possible duplication, we did not modify or delete our
recommendation. Concerning DOJ‘s suggestion that we address the impact
of a statutory restriction that prohibits sharing tips with state and
local ICAC task forces absent a court order, it should be pointed out
that a review of the quality or enhancement of federal-to-state law
enforcement coordination efforts was outside the scope of our review.
The scope of our objectives was limited to a review of federal-to-
federal law enforcement agencies‘ coordination mechanisms.
Background:
As shown in table 1, several federal law enforcement agencies are
involved in the U.S. efforts to combat child pornography. These
agencies have specific units devoted to combating child exploitation,
of which child pornography is a part.
Table 1: Federal Agencies Involved in Combating Child Pornography:
[See PDF for image]
[A] Agency has staff resources assigned to NCMEC.
Source: GAO.
[End of table]
Appendix II provides additional details on the mission, role, and level
of resources of these agencies.
As shown in figure 1, the number of federal child pornography cases
prosecuted has continued to increase over the past 5 years.
Figure 1: Federal Child Pornography Cases Prosecuted by Fiscal Year:
[See PDF for image]
Note:Fiscal year 2002 figures as of September 2002.
[End of figure]
Appendix III provides additional information on the caseload of key
federal law enforcement agencies involved in efforts to combat this
crime.
Mechanisms in Place Have Coordinated Federal Efforts:
Federal agencies have mechanisms in place to coordinate their law
enforcement efforts to combat child pornography. These mechanisms
include (1) regularly scheduled monthly meetings among key officials
for the purpose of sharing current information and expertise; (2) the
sharing of expertise among federal prosecutors and the consolidation of
federal investigative efforts; (3) task forces to coordinate federal
investigative activities; (4) a national program to facilitate the
sharing of information and images among agencies for the purpose of
investigation and prosecution; and (5) NCMEC, a federally funded,
nonprofit organization.
Monthly Coordination Meetings:
Officials from the respective child exploitation units of the FBI, the
Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Customs Service, and
U.S. Postal Inspection Service, hold monthly meetings to share
information and expertise on their efforts to combat child
pornography.[Footnote 6] The focus of these meetings usually involves
general trends and issues related to child exploitation and law
enforcement strategies. Specific investigations of mutual interest or
those that require extensive coordination among agencies, including
efforts of multiagency federal task forces, may also be discussed.
Justice Attorneys Coordinate and Consolidate Prosecution of Cases:
Attorneys from CEOS and the various USAOs facilitate the coordination
of investigations by multiple federal law enforcement agencies in
multiple districts. The U.S. Attorneys‘ Manual, among other things,
outlines DOJ‘s policy on coordination between CEOS and USAOs in
multidistrict investigations and prosecution of cases involving child
pornography, child sexual abuse, and child exploitation and
obscenity.[Footnote 7] For example, in one large child pornography case
that involved suspects from multiple jurisdictions in the United States
and abroad, CEOS attorneys provided guidance to ensure that subpoenas
and search warrant affidavits were legally sound and executed by
multiple agencies in a coordinated fashion. CEOS attorneys also
coordinated the prosecution of multiple defendants in the case, taking
the lead on some and referring others to various prosecutors across the
country.
Multiagency Federal Task Forces:
Multiagency task forces are also in place to coordinate investigative
activities among federal agencies as well as with state and local law
enforcement officials. The Federal Agency Task Force for Missing and
Exploited Children and the Internet Crimes Against Children Program are
examples of multiagency task forces with federal agency involvement.
The Federal Agency Task Force for Missing and Exploited Children
includes representatives from 16 federal agencies and NCMEC. Officials
participating in this task force coordinate their activities on cases
involving missing and exploited children and provide a consolidated
resource guide that identifies federal resources and provides
information on technical assistance and support, and services related
to child exploitation, including child pornography.
Table 2 shows the federal agencies involved in this effort.
Table 2: Agencies Participating in the Federal Agency Task Force for
Missing and Exploited Children:
Department: Department of Defense; Agency: Family Advocacy Program;
Legal Assistance Offices.
Department: Department of Education; Agency: Office of Elementary and
Secondary Education/Safe and Drug-Free School Program.
Department: Department of Health and Human Services; Agency: Family and
Youth Services Bureau; National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect.
Department: Department of Justice; Agency: Child Exploitation and
Obscenity Section; Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys; Federal Bureau
of Investigation; Office for Victims of Crime; OJJDP‘s Prevention/Child
Protection Division; Immigration and Naturalization Service; U.S.
National Central Bureau.
Department: Department of State; Agency: Office of Children‘s Issues.
Department: Department of Treasury; Agency: Customs Service; Secret
Service‘s Forensic Services Division.
Department: Postal Service; Agency: Postal Inspection Service.
Source: Federal Agency Task Force for Missing and Exploited Children.
[End of table]
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
provides funding for the ICAC Program, which coordinates federal and
regional responses to Internet crimes against children. This program is
designed to enhance the national response by developing a state and
local law enforcement network composed of regional task forces, each
with a federal law enforcement presence. For example, the successful
conclusion to one 2-year investigation was announced in August 2001.
Thirty ICACs throughout the United States partnered with Postal
Inspectors in an undercover operation aimed at eliminating child
pornography through the mail and via the Internet. Searches were
conducted in 37 states and resulted in 130 arrests for trafficking in
child pornography. Currently, there are 30 ICAC task forces nationwide,
with an additional 6 planned.
Victim Identification Program:
To facilitate more effective coordination of federal, state, and local
investigation and prosecution of child pornography cases, federal law
enforcement agencies have developed a national program that allows law
enforcement officials to share information on images of child victims.
This includes new images from child pornography traffic uncovered
amongst the various law enforcement agencies that may identify a child
victim. The program permits law enforcement officials to search stored
images to determine if an image found during the course of an
investigation is that of an actual child whose image has been used in
previous cases.[Footnote 8] The sharing of these images helps law
enforcement agencies better utilize resources, coordinate their
efforts, and aid in criminal prosecutions, according to federal law
enforcement officials. The Victim Identification Program is also
intended to aid law enforcement agencies in their efforts to find and
save a child depicted in the images.
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children:
NCMEC, a federally funded, nonprofit organization, serves as a national
resource center for information related to crimes against children. Its
mission is to find missing children and prevent child victimization.
NCMEC‘s Exploited Child Unit (ECU) provides technical assistance and
services to enable federal, state, local, and international law
enforcement agencies to effectively coordinate child pornography
investigations. Analysts in this unit investigate and process tips
provided by the public and electronic communications service providers
to determine if the material constitutes a violation of law. This
information is then made available to designated federal law
enforcement agencies for follow-up. Figure 2 shows the makeup of
NCMEC‘s ECU and the presence of multiple federal law enforcement
agencies. Appendix II provides additional detail on NCMEC.
Figure 2: NCMEC‘s Exploited Child Unit:
[See PDF for image]
[A] In May 1999, the Office of the Attorney General published a
proposed
rule that designated the FBI and the U.S. Customs Service as the law
enforcement agencies that are to receive reports under the Protection
of Children from Sexual Predators Act. 64 Fed. Reg. 28422, 28424
(1999). The proposed rule has not been finalized.
[End of figure]
Opportunity Exists to Further Enhance Coordination:
Officials from key federal agencies that we interviewed said that they
see no significant impediments to federal coordination of efforts to
combat child pornography. Specifically, officials from federal law
enforcement agencies, namely, the FBI, U.S. Customs Service, and the
Postal Inspection Service, said that mechanisms currently in place to
coordinate federal efforts were effective.[Footnote 9] Additionally,
representatives from remote computing and electronic communication
service providers reported that there were no significant problems with
coordination among federal law enforcement agencies. These entities
report that duplication of subpoenas in support of child pornography
investigations by federal law enforcement agencies is rare.
Although we found no significant impediments to federal law enforcement
efforts, an opportunity exists to further enhance coordination by
additional information sharing. Under the Protection of Children from
Sexual Predators Act of 1998, as amended, electronic communication
service or remote computing service providers must report suspected
federal child pornography crimes to NCMEC, which must then forward such
reports to a law enforcement agency or agencies designated by the
Attorney General.[Footnote 10] As previously noted, the Attorney
General published a proposed rule that designated the FBI and the U.S.
Customs Service as the law enforcement agencies that are to receive
reports under the act. NCMEC has informed us that it only allows these
two agencies access to these reports or ’tips.“ NCMEC does not grant
the Postal Inspection Service or the Secret Service access to these
tips.[Footnote 11] Officials from federal law enforcement agencies we
spoke with, as well as officials from NCMEC and some of the leading
electronic communication service providers, said that access to these
tips should be expanded to include the U.S. Postal Inspection Service
and the U.S. Secret Service because some of the tips may involve the
U.S. mail or require forensic investigative efforts that could best be
provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service or the U.S. Secret
Service.
Conclusions:
Although no significant impediments to coordination were found and
agencies generally view current mechanisms as effective, the lack of
access to remote computing and electronic communication service
providers‘ tips by the Postal Inspection Service and Secret Service may
limit the ability of these agencies to pursue leads or coordinate
efforts with other law enforcement agencies. Currently, the Attorney
General‘s proposed rule, while not finalized, has only designated the
FBI and Customs as agencies that are to receive such information. As a
result, NCMEC does not grant access to the Postal Inspection Service or
the Secret Service. Without this designation, all of the federal law
enforcement agencies involved in combating child pornography will not
have access to information that could enable them to avoid future
duplication of efforts.
Recommendation for Executive Action:
To further enhance the coordination of the various law enforcement
agencies‘ efforts to combat child pornography, we recommend that the
Attorney General designate the Postal Inspection Service and Secret
Service as agencies that should receive reports of child pornography
under the Protection of Children from Sexual Predators Act of 1998 in
addition to FBI and Customs.
Agency Comments and Our Evaluation:
We requested comments on a draft of this report from the Attorney
General, Secretary of the Treasury, and the Chief of the Postal
Inspection Service. Officials from the Customs Service, U.S. Postal
Inspection Service, and Secret Service generally agreed with the
report‘s findings and supported our recommendation. The Department of
Justice, while agreeing with our finding that federal agencies have
mechanisms in place to coordinate their efforts, did not fully support
our conclusion and recommendation that providing the Postal Inspection
Service and Secret Service direct access to tips reported to NCMEC by
remote computing service and electronic communication service providers
would further enhance federal coordination efforts. DOJ said that FBI
and Customs, the agencies that currently have direct access, can and do
share these tips with Secret Service and Postal Inspection Service, as
appropriate, and DOJ believes this coordination has been effective. DOJ
questions whether coordination will be further enhanced by adding
Secret Service and the Postal Inspection Service as agencies designated
to receive access to these tips directly from NCMEC; however, DOJ said
that it is studying this issue as it finalizes regulations implementing
the statute.
We recognize that the Protection of Children from Sexual Predators Act
allows designated agencies to share tips with other government
personnel if an attorney for the government determines that such
information-sharing is necessary to assist the attorney in enforcing
federal criminal law and that the Postal Inspection Service and Secret
Service may be able to obtain indirect access to tips reported by
remote computing service and electronic communication service providers
in this manner.[Footnote 12] Although DOJ questions whether the Postal
Inspection Service and Secret Service, therefore, need direct access,
we fail to see how indirect access fully facilitates law enforcement
efforts. Because we believe that the Postal Inspection Service and
Secret Service, which continue to be actively involved in child
pornography investigations, should have direct access to such tips to
better enable them to (1) pursue leads or coordinate efforts with other
law enforcement agencies that may require their expertise and (2) avoid
possible duplication, we did not modify or delete our recommendation.
DOJ also said that our report does not address the impact that current
statutory restrictions have on the sharing of these tips with federally
funded Internet Crimes Against Children task forces that involve state
and local law enforcement officers. The Protection of Children from
Sexual Predators Act prohibits federal law enforcement agencies from
sharing tips reported to NCMEC by remote computing and electronic
communication service providers concerning possible state crimes with
state or local officials absent a court order.[Footnote 13] Concerning
DOJ‘s suggestion that we address the impact of this statutory
prohibition on sharing tips with state and local ICAC task forces, it
should be pointed out that a review of the quality or enhancement of
federal-to-state law enforcement coordination efforts was outside the
scope of our review. Our scope was limited to a review of federal-to-
federal law enforcement agencies‘ coordination mechanisms.
Copies of this report are being sent to the Attorney General, Director
of the FBI, the Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Postal Service, and
other interested parties. We will also make copies available to others
upon request. In addition, the report will be available at no charge on
the GAO Web site at http://www.gao.gov.
If you or your staff have any questions about this report, please
contact Charles Michael Johnson or me at (202) 512-8777 or at
johnsoncm@gao.gov or ekstrandl@gao.gov. Key contributors to this report
are acknowledged in appendix IV.
Laurie E. Ekstrand
Director, Justice Issues:
Signed by Laurie E. Ekstrand:
[End of section]
Appendix : Objectives, Scope, and Methodology:
Our overall objective for this review was to assess the coordination
efforts of federal agencies to combat child pornography. Specifically,
we focused on (1) identifying mechanisms federal agencies have in place
to coordinate their efforts to combat child pornography and (2)
determining whether opportunities exist to enhance coordination among
federal law enforcement agencies. We limited our scope to the domestic
efforts of key federal law enforcement agencies involved in combating
child pornography.
We interviewed officials from various components of the Department of
Justice (DOJ). Specifically, we interviewed officials from the Crimes
Against Children Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); the
Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) within DOJ‘s criminal
division; as well as officials from the Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), which funds the Internet Crimes Against
Children (ICAC) Program. We also interviewed officials from the
Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA). To obtain
information on the Department of the Treasury‘s efforts to combat child
pornography, we interviewed officials from the U.S. Customs Service‘s
CyberSmuggling Investigations Center, Child Exploitation Unit, and the
Secret Service. To obtain information on the U.S. Postal Service‘s
efforts to combat child pornography, we interviewed officials from the
Postal Inspection Service and the Postal Inspection Service‘s
Washington Metro Child Exploitation Unit. In addition, we interviewed
officials from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
(NCMEC) and officials and representatives from the following providers
of electronic communications services: America Online, Microsoft, and
Yahoo and an antichild pornography watchdog group, Wired Patrol, to
obtain their views on the effectiveness of federal coordination
efforts.
We collected budgetary, resource allocation, and caseload data from
each of the key federal agencies involved in efforts to combat child
pornography. Also during our review, we reviewed congressional
testimonies, statutes, and the history of child pornography cases
involving multiple federal agencies.
We conducted our work between May and October 2002 in accordance with
generally accepted government auditing standards.
[End of section]
Appendix II: Key Federal Agencies and Federally Funded Entities
Involved
in Combating Child Pornography:
U.S. Department of Justice:
Federal Bureau of Investigation:
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigates various crimes
against children, including federal child pornography crimes involving
interstate or foreign commerce.[Footnote 14] For example, FBI
investigates violations of federal statutes generally relating to:
* producing child pornography;
* permitting a minor within one‘s custody or control to be used in
child pornography;
* selling or buying children for use in child pornography; and:
* transporting, shipping, receiving, or distributing child pornography
by any means, including by computer.
As shown in figures 3 and 4, the amount of human and fiscal resources
the FBI has allocated to combating child exploitation increased
steadily from fiscal year 1998 to fiscal year 2002.[Footnote 15]
Figure 3: FBI Personnel Dedicated for Combating Child Exploitation:
[See PDF for image]
NOTE:Represents agents from FBI‘s Crimes Against Children and Innocent
Images National Initiative units.
[End of figure]
Figure 4: FBI Funds Obligated for Combating Child Exploitation:
[See PDF for image]
Note: Represents funds obligated by FBI‘s Innocent Images National
Initiative unit.
[End of figure]
Office of Crimes Against Children:
The Office of Crimes Against Children became operational in March 1997
within the Violent Crime and Major Offenders Section, Criminal
Investigations Division, of the FBI. The Office expanded into the
Crimes Against Children Unit in January 2000 in response to an
increased awareness and nationwide growth of crimes against children.
The unit‘s mission is to provide a quick, effective response to
reported incidents of crimes against children thereby increasing the
number of victims rescued and reducing the number of crimes in which
children are victimized. The unit‘s program strategy is implemented
through multidisciplinary and multiagency resource teams that, among
other things, investigate and prosecute crimes against children;
facilitate interagency sharing of intelligence information; and provide
specialized skills and services.
Innocent Images National Initiative:
The FBI established a nationwide initiative to combat the proliferation
of online child sexual exploitation. The Innocent Images National
Initiative, a component of the FBI‘s Crimes Against Children Unit, is a
proactive, investigative initiative to combat the proliferation of
child pornography/ child exploitation facilitated by computer. This
initiative is composed of agents working at regional offices nationwide
and may involve agents from any of the FBI‘s 56 field office locations.
Innocent Images provides centralized coordination and analysis of case
information that is national and international in scope and requires
coordination with state, local, and international governments as well
as among FBI field offices and legal attaches. The mission of Innocent
Images is to:
* identify, investigate, and prosecute sexual predators who use the
Internet and online services to sexually exploit children;
* establish a law enforcement presence on the Internet as a deterrent
to subjects that use the Internet to exploit children; and
* identify and rescue witting and unwitting child victims.
EOUSA and U.S. Attorneys:
The Executive Office of the United States Attorney (EOUSA) and the 94
United States Attorney Offices (USAOs) have a multifaceted role in
coordinating federal law enforcement efforts to combat child
pornography. Among other things, EOUSA provides the 94 USAOs with
guidance for coordinating child exploitation-related cases with other
components of the Department of Justice as well as with other federal
agencies. One function of EOUSA is to oversee the designation of an
Assistant U.S. Attorney in each of the USAOs to work as a CEOS
Coordinator. These Assistant U.S. Attorneys are the main point of
contact within each USAO for guidance on child exploitation-related
cases. They also facilitate the exchange of information on pending
cases that may have multiple jurisdictional aspects to them. EOUSA also
publishes and maintains the United States Attorneys‘ manual, which
provides internal guidance to the U.S. Attorneys and others on, among
other things, investigating criminal matters and prosecuting cases.
Attorneys in the 94 USAOs prosecute the majority of federal child
pornography-related cases. The exceptions would be certain
multijurisdictional cases prosecuted by the Child Exploitation and
Obscenity Section (CEOS) or others that the USAO would recuse itself
from or refer to CEOS for prosecution.
Criminal Division‘s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section:
CEOS is a unit within DOJ‘s Criminal Division that specializes in the
prosecution of child sex offenses, trafficking of women and children
for sexual exploitation, and obscenity. Among other things, CEOS is
primarily responsible for the development of prosecution, policy, and
legislative initiatives in those areas. CEOS‘ professional staff
consists of attorneys and information technology specialists dedicated
to combating the sexual exploitation of children and obscenity.
Established in 1987, CEOS focuses on individuals who, in the context of
child exploitation,
* possess, manufacture, produce, or distribute child pornography;
* travel interstate or internationally to sexually abuse children, or
cause children to travel interstate or internationally for that same
purpose;
* use the Internet to lure children to engage in prohibited sexual
conduct;
* abuse children on federal and Indian lands; or:
* traffic women and children interstate or internationally to engage in
sexually explicit conduct.
CEOS attorneys work closely with federal law enforcement agencies and
prosecutors on investigations, trials, and appeals.
As shown in figures 5 and 6, the amount of fiscal and human resources
at CEOS dedicated to combating child exploitation, including resources
available to assist with and prosecute child pornography and obscenity-
related cases, grew from fiscal year 1998 to fiscal year 2002.[Footnote
16]
Figure 5: CEOS Personnel Dedicated for Combating Child Exploitation and
Obscenity Offenses:
[See PDF for image]
[End of figure]
Figure 6: CEOS Funds Obligated for Combating Federal Child Exploitation
and Obscenity Offenses:
[See PDF for image]
[End of figure]
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention:
Created by the Department of Justice in 1998, the Internet Crimes
Against Children (ICAC) program, administered and funded through the
OJJDP, encourages communities nationwide to develop regional,
multijurisdictional, and multiagency responses to Internet crimes
against children. The program provides grants to state and local law
enforcement agencies to build regional task forces that address and
combat Internet-related crimes against children. ICAC program grants
are used to ensure that investigators receive specialized training and
technological resources to combat Internet-related crimes.
Additionally, ICAC task forces have been established to serve as
sources of prevention, education, and forensic investigative assistance
to those who work on Internet crimes against children.
ICAC‘s objectives include:
* Developing or expanding multiagency, multijurisdictional task forces
that include representatives from law enforcement, prosecution, victim
services, and child protective services, among others.
* Ensuring investigative capacity by properly equipping and training
ICAC taskforce investigators.
* Developing and maintaining case-management systems to document
reported offenses and investigative results.
* Developing response protocols or memorandums of understanding to
foster collaboration, information sharing, and service integration
among public and private organizations to protect children from being
sexually exploited.
A number of federal agencies are also involved in the ICAC Task Force
Program through membership on various task force units and through
participation on the ICAC Task Force Board. These partners include:
DOJ‘s CEOS, FBI, EOUSA, Customs Service‘s CyberSmuggling Center, and
the Postal Inspection Service.
Figure 7 provides information on OJJDP grants awarded to state and
local jurisdictions to fund ICAC task forces.
Figure 7: OJJDP Grants to ICAC Task Forces:
[See PDF for image]
[End of figure]
U.S. Department of Treasury:
U.S. Customs Service:
Customs targets the illegal importation and trafficking of child
pornography and is the country‘s front line of defense to combat the
illegal importation and proliferation of this material. The agency
becomes involved in cases with foreign links, primarily focusing on
child pornography that enters the United States from abroad.
Customs Service‘s Office of Investigations established the
CyberSmuggling Investigations Center to more effectively focus Customs‘
resources on Internet crimes. The center brings together all Customs‘
resources dedicated to the investigation of international criminal
activity conducted on or facilitated by the Internet, including the
sharing and distribution of child pornography. The center also
continually trains personnel and upgrades their techniques to combat
the diverse ways in which offenders download, possess, and distribute
child pornography. The center acts as a clearinghouse and directs
investigations to applicable areas within the United States and foreign
countries.
Through the CyberSmuggling Center, Customs acts as a first line of
defense against smuggling over ’traditional“ borders as well as
smuggling associated with the Internet. Customs maintains a reporting
link to NCMEC, a telephone reporting line, and acts on tips from
callers reporting Web sites, individual servers, or chat rooms
trafficking in suspected child pornography as well as instances of
other related crimes. The center has developed a national victim
identification program of images for use by law enforcement agencies in
the investigation and prosecution of individuals charged with child
pornography-related crimes.
As shown in figure 8, Customs‘ staff hours devoted to combating child
exploitation increased from fiscal year 1998 to fiscal year 1999, but
declined thereafter.[Footnote 17] An official from Customs explained
that while Customs‘ cases are now much more significant and complex in
scope, its investigators are more knowledgeable and technologically
proficient, so it generally takes less time to work an Internet case
than it once did. Furthermore, the events of September 11, 2001, caused
a temporary shift in Customs‘ resources to terrorism-related
activities. Consequently, many child pornography cases that Customs
would ordinarily have investigated were passed to state and local law
enforcement for prosecution under state pornography statutes. Fiscal
resources also show a similar trend. This same official told us that
much of the funds expended in earlier years were for initial
infrastructure costs associated with developing Customs‘ current
technological capabilities, and costs in current years are for upgrades
or rotating replacement of equipment.
Figure 8: Hours Spent by Customs Agents on Child Exploitation
Investigations:
[See PDF for image]
[End of figure]
Figure 9: Customs Estimated Child Exploitation Obligations:
[See PDF for image]
[End of figure]
U.S. Secret Service:
The Secret Service provides forensic and technical assistance in
matters involving missing and sexually exploited children through its
Office of Investigations. The Secret Service‘s Forensic Investigative
Response and Support Team (FIRST) consists of a group of technical and
forensic experts, including agents from the Electronic Crimes Special
Agent Program (ECSAP), who are available to respond to requests from
any law enforcement agency within the United States to perform forensic
and technical examinations.
Forensic and technical services provided by the U.S. Secret Service
include, among others, access to the following:
* The Forensic Information System for Handwriting database, which
allows material to be searched against previously recorded writings.
* FBI‘s Automated Fingerprint Identification System, a nationwide
network with access to the largest collection of automated fingerprint
databases in the United States.
* Polygraph examinations to help detect deception.
* Visual information services, such as image enhancement, age
progression and regression, video and audio enhancement, and graphic
and photographic support.
* Crime scene, document, and other forensic examinations.
Section 105 of the USA Patriot Act[Footnote 18] requires the Secret
Service to develop a national network of electronic crime task forces
to combat various forms of electronic crimes. In response to this
requirement, the Secret Service has designated eight major metropolitan
areas where assets and resources are being directed to establish a
network of regional Electronic Crimes Task Forces. The regional task
forces work directly with other federal, state, and local law
enforcement agencies in the area of child pornography as well as other
electronic crimes.
Since fiscal year 1997, the Secret Service, through its Investigative
Services Division and Forensic Services Division, has overseen and
administered grants to NCMEC‘s Exploited Child Unit. However, since
fiscal year 2002, all Secret Service-related grant activities
associated with NCMEC have been consolidated into the Forensic Services
Division.
The Secret Service has four full-time personnel assigned to NCMEC. They
include one Special Agent, who is a coordinator of the program, and
three analysts, one of which is assigned to the Exploited Child Unit.
U.S. Postal Service:
U.S. Postal Inspection Service:
The Postal Inspection Service is the federal law enforcement arm of the
U.S. Postal Service that is responsible for investigating crimes
involving the U.S. mail, including child pornography and child sexual
exploitation offenses. Postal Inspectors, specially trained to conduct
child exploitation investigations, are assigned to each of its field
divisions nationwide.
The use of mail to traffic in child pornography, or to sexually exploit
children, continues to be a significant societal problem, according to
Postal officials. The exchange of child pornography by mail is now
often preceded by use of the Internet to communicate with like-minded
individuals or to locate sources of child pornography. Over the past
several years, there has been an increase in the number of unlawful
computer transmissions and ads for child pornography on the Internet,
which occur hand-in-hand with the trafficking of child pornography
videotapes and computer disks through the mail.
The objective of the child exploitation program is to reduce and deter
the use of the postal system for the procurement or delivery of
materials that promote the sexual exploitation of children. In carrying
out its mission, the Postal Inspection Service works with DOJ, FBI,
Customs Service, NCMEC, and other national and international law
enforcement agencies.
As shown in figures 10 and 11, the number of Postal Inspectors
dedicated to combating child exploitation, including child pornography,
has increased steadily from fiscal years 1998 to 2001. However, the
overall budget for combating these crimes dropped in fiscal year
2002.[Footnote 19] A Postal Inspection Service official explained that
as a result of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, and recent
anthrax investigations, resources were diverted.
Figure 10: Postal Inspectors Assigned to Child Exploitation
Investigations:
[See PDF for image]
[End of figure]
Figure 11: Postal Inspection Service Funds Obligated for Combating
Child Exploitation:
[See PDF for image]
[End of figure]
Federal Agency Task Force on Missing and Exploited Children:
The Federal Agency Task Force on Missing and Exploited Children was
created to improve the federal response to missing and exploited
children. The task force serves as an advocate for child victims and
their families, coordinates federal resources and services, and fosters
increased cooperation and communication among federal agencies. The
task force includes representatives from 16 federal agencies and 1
private agency, including representatives from the following DOJ
offices: CEOS, EOUSA, FBI, Office for Victims of Crime, OJJDP‘s Child
Protection Division, Immigration and Naturalization Service, and
National Central Bureau (Interpol); Department of Treasury‘s Custom
Service and Secret Service, Forensic Services Division; Department of
State‘s Office of Children‘s Issues; Department of Health and Human
Services‘ Family and Youth Service Bureau and Children‘s Bureau/Office
on Child Abuse and Neglect; the U.S. Postal Service, Department of
Defense‘s Family Advocacy Program Legal Assistance Offices; Department
of Education‘s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and
Secondary Education/Safe Schools Program; and NCMEC.
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children:
NCMEC is a private, nonprofit organization that serves as the nation‘s
resource center for child protection. NCMEC‘s mission is to assist in
the location and recovery of missing children and to prevent the
abduction, molestation, sexual exploitation, and victimization of
children. NCMEC operates under a congressional mandate through OJJDP
funding.[Footnote 20]
In addition, NCMEC operates its Exploited Child Unit through a separate
cooperative agreement between Treasury and NCMEC for the establishment
of this unit.
NCMEC maintains a 24-hour, toll-free tipline for leads from individuals
reporting the sexual exploitation of children and information on the
possession, manufacture, and/or distribution of child pornography.
NCMEC also maintains the CyberTipline to receive statutorily required
tips on child pornography from remote computing service and electronic
communication service providers, such as America Online, Microsoft, and
Yahoo.[Footnote 21] NCMEC‘s case analysts assess and track leads,
identify patterns among cases, help coordinate investigations, and make
such information available to the designated law enforcement agencies.
The FBI, Customs Service, Postal Inspection Service, and Secret Service
have employees assigned directly to NCMEC.
NCMEC also offers technical assistance, training, and consultation to
law enforcement agencies. NCMEC has developed specialized training
programs, materials, and curriculum designed for law-enforcement
personnel. In addition, NCMEC provides extensive referrals serving as a
source of contact for statewide, national, and global investigations.
[End of section]
Appendix III: Federal Law Enforcement Agencies Child Pornography-
Related
Caseload:
In addition to the increases in the number of child pornography cases
prosecuted from fiscal years 1998 through 2002, the investigative
caseload of key federal law enforcement agencies has generally
increased above fiscal year 1998 levels. Figures 12 through 16 provide
caseload trend data from fiscal years 1998 through 2002.
An FBI official said that the best method by which to measure its
activity was the number of child exploitation-related cases
opened.[Footnote 22] Figure 12 shows the increase in the number of
cases the FBI opened over the past 5 years.
Figure 12: Child Exploitation Cases Opened by the FBI:
[See PDF for image]
[NOTE:] Represents cases opened by FBI‘s Crimes Against Children and
Innocent Images National Initiative units.
[End of figure]
Customs and Postal Inspection Service both record arrest data to
indicate the results of their level of effort in combating child
pornography. As shown in figure 13, the number of Custom Service child
exploitation-related arrests has decreased since fiscal year
1998.[Footnote 23]
Figure 13: Customs Arrests for Child Exploitation:
[See PDF for image]
[End of figure]
Customs officials report that the decreasing number of arrests are a
result of changes in strategy for combating child pornography cases.
Customs officials said that the agency has shifted to focusing on cases
that are more complex and larger in scope, thus their overall number of
arrests has dropped. The more straightforward cases are turned over to
state and local law enforcement agencies and ICACs, according to
Customs officials.
As shown in figures 14, the number of Postal Service arrests has
increased over fiscal year 1998 levels.
Figure 14: Postal Inspection Service Arrests for Child Pornography:
[See PDF for image]
[End of figure]
The Postal Inspection Service reported that, due to the difficulty of
defining what constitutes an ’investigation,“ it does not maintain at
headquarters, the number of investigations conducted by field
personnel. An official explained that an investigation could be
interpreted as simply following up on a piece of information provided
to child exploitation specialists about a potential suspect where the
end result is determined to be noncredible. The difficulty is
determining when following up on a tip becomes a ’case.“:
U.S. Postal officials also said that an arrest might not be unique to
one agency. In some instances, such as in large or multijurisdictional
cases where more than one law enforcement agency is involved, arrests
may be credited to more than one agency. This occurs when more than one
law enforcement agency makes a meaningful and significant contribution
to a particular case.
As shown in figures 15 and 16, the number of Secret Service tips
processed increased over fiscal year 1998 levels, and the number of
investigations opened increased significantly in fiscal year 2002.
Figure 15: Secret Service Cyber Tips Processed:
[See PDF for image]
[End of figure]
Figure 16: Secret Service Field Office Child Pornography Investigative
Caseload:
[See PDF for image]
[End of figure]
[End of section]
Appendix IV: GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments:
GAO Contacts:
Laurie E. Ekstrand (202) 512-2758
Charles Michael Johnson (202) 512-7331:
Staff Acknowledgments:
Nancy A. Briggs, Robert J. Rivas, Mona Nichols, Christine F. Davis,
Anne E. Laffoon, and Orlando R. Boston made key contributions to this
report.
FOOTNOTES
[1] See New York v. Ferber, 458 U.S. 747, 764 (1982) (emphasis in
original). The age is under 18 years old for federal child pornography
statutes, which are codified at 18 U.S.C. 2251 to 2260.
[2] These networks allow users to share material by transmitting data
directly from computer to computer rather than through a central
server. Additional information regarding the ease of access to child
pornography on peer-to-peer networks, the risk of inadvertent exposure
of juvenile users of peer-to-peer networks to child pornography, and
the extent of federal law enforcement resources available for combating
child pornography on peer-to-peer networks will be forthcoming in a GAO
report to be issued in early 2003.
[3] Child exploitation includes activities such as child molestation,
child prostitution, and online enticement of children for sexual acts,
in addition to child pornography.
[4] The Secret Service does not have a primary investigative role and
describes their activities in this area as providing technical
expertise and forensic support on an ’as needed“ basis. The Secret
Service defers to those agencies with primary jurisdiction in the area
of child pornography to answer the question of effectiveness of
coordination mechanisms.
[5] These remote computing service and electronic communication service
providers would include major Internet service providers, such as
America Online and Microsoft, as well as major Web sites such as Yahoo.
[6] At the time of our review, the Secret Service was not attending
monthly child pornography coordination meetings. As previously noted,
the Secret Service does not have a primary investigative role and
described its activities in this area as providing technical expertise
and forensic support on an ’as needed“ basis.
[7] See U.S. Attorneys‘ Manual, sec. 9-75.030, 9-75.100, 9-75.110.
[8] In Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition, 535 U.S. 234 (2002), the
Supreme Court declared certain provisions of the Child Pornography
Prevention Act unconstitutional to the extent that they defined child
pornography by reference to images that appear to depict, or convey the
impression that they depict, minors. See 18 U.S.C. 2256(8)(B),(D). As a
result of this ruling, the government has an affirmative burden to
prove, as an element of its case, that the images were produced using
real children. According to DOJ, where a defendant claims that
technology currently exists to create computer-generated images that
appear to depict real children, it is more challenging for the
government to meet its burden of proof. DOJ states that one manner of
meeting that burden is to identify the child depicted in the image,
which may be facilitated through the Victim Identification Program.
[9] The Secret Service deferred to the views of federal agencies with
primary jurisdiction over child pornography-related investigations.
[10] 42 U.S.C. 13032(b)(1).
[11] See 42 U.S.C. 13032(f)(1)(C).
[12] See Id. 13032(f)(1)(D).
[13] Federal child pornography crimes are set forth at 18 U.S.C. 2251,
2251A, 2252, 2252A, and 2260.
[14] The FBI is unable to provide us with the number of personnel
assigned or funds obligated to combating child pornography from the
larger category of child exploitation.
[15] CEOS was unable to separate out the number of personnel or funds
specifically obligated to combating child pornography from those
directed to combating child exploitation and obscenity offenses.
[16] Customs is unable to separate the staff hours devoted or funds
obligated to combating child pornography from those dedicated to
combating child exploitation in general.
[17] P.L. 107-56 (Oct. 26, 2001).
[18] Postal Service was unable to provide us with the number of
inspectors assigned to child pornography or the specific funds
obligated to combat this crime from the larger category of child
exploitation.
[19] The Missing Children‘s Assistance Act of 1984, as amended, directs
OJJDP to make an annual grant to NCMEC to carry out various
responsibilities related to missing and exploited children. In general,
these responsibilities include operating a 24-hour, toll-free tip line
to receive tips about missing children; serving as the official
national resource center and information clearinghouse for missing and
exploited children; coordinating public and private programs to locate
missing children; providing technical assistance and training; and
providing a variety of information and assistance services. See 42
U.S.C. 5773(b)(1).
[20] See 42 U.S.C. 13032(b).
[21] FBI was unable to provide us with the number of child pornography
cases opened from their larger category of child exploitation cases.
[22] Customs was unable to separate arrests for child pornography from
the larger number of arrests for child exploitation in general.
[23]
GAO‘s Mission:
The General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress,
exists to support Congress in meeting its constitutional
responsibilities and to help improve the performance and accountability
of the federal government for the American people. GAO examines the use
of public funds; evaluates federal programs and policies; and provides
analyses, recommendations, and other assistance to help Congress make
informed oversight, policy, and funding decisions. GAO‘s commitment to
good government is reflected in its core values of accountability,
integrity, and reliability.
Obtaining Copies of GAO Reports and Testimony:
The fastest and easiest way to obtain copies of GAO documents at no
cost is through the Internet. GAO‘s Web site ( www.gao.gov ) contains
abstracts and full-text files of current reports and testimony and an
expanding archive of older products. The Web site features a search
engine to help you locate documents using key words and phrases. You
can print these documents in their entirety, including charts and other
graphics.
Each day, GAO issues a list of newly released reports, testimony, and
correspondence. GAO posts this list, known as ’Today‘s Reports,“ on its
Web site daily. The list contains links to the full-text document
files. To have GAO e-mail this list to you every afternoon, go to
www.gao.gov and select ’Subscribe to daily E-mail alert for newly
released products“ under the GAO Reports heading.
Order by Mail or Phone:
The first copy of each printed report is free. Additional copies are $2
each. A check or money order should be made out to the Superintendent
of Documents. GAO also accepts VISA and Mastercard. Orders for 100 or
more copies mailed to a single address are discounted 25 percent.
Orders should be sent to:
U.S. General Accounting Office
441 G Street NW,
Room LM Washington,
D.C. 20548:
To order by Phone:
Voice: (202) 512-6000:
TDD: (202) 512-2537:
Fax: (202) 512-6061:
To Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in Federal Programs:
Contact:
Web site: www.gao.gov/fraudnet/fraudnet.htm E-mail: fraudnet@gao.gov
Automated answering system: (800) 424-5454 or (202) 512-7470:
Public Affairs:
Jeff Nelligan, managing director, NelliganJ@gao.gov (202) 512-4800 U.S.
General Accounting Office, 441 G Street NW, Room 7149 Washington, D.C.
20548:
