FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AG

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2006 (202) 514-2007

WWW.USDOJ.GOV TDD (202) 514-1888

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales

Calls for Americans
to Join the Fight Against Child Sexual
Exploitation
WASHINGTON – Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today delivered remarks
at the Justice Department’s Project Safe Childhood conference on Department
efforts to prosecute sex predators and protect children from sexual exploitation
through Project Safe Childhood. He called upon Americans to report suspicious
behavior and signs of abuse, and upon federal and state prosecutors to aggressively
pursue sex predators. Project Safe Childhood, announced by the Attorney General in
February 2006, creates a coordinated national response to the growing threat posed
to America’s youth by online sexual exploitation. It brings federal, state and local
law enforcement communities together in order to maximize resources and obtain
the strictest penalties available against sex predators under federal and state law.

As technology advances and as the Internet becomes more accessible, the number of
computer-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes committed against children —
including child pornography offenses and “traveler” or enticement crimes —
continues to grow.

“The sexual abuse and exploitation of children is one of the most disturbing crimes
known to humankind,” said Attorney General Gonzales. “Much has been done to
protect and defend them, but more must be done. Through Project Safe Childhood,
the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners are able to work
together to pursue and prosecute sex predators with greater coordination and
determination than ever before.”

In addition to its emphasis on increasing the prosecutions of sex predators, Project

Safe Childhood works to increase public awareness about the presence of
pedophiles on the Internet. Project Safe Childhood has partnered with the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and The Ad Council on a
public education campaign targeted to children and their parents. The campaign,
including print, broadcast and web content, will debut in early 2007. Project Safe
Childhood includes five key components:

*INTEGRATED FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL EFFORTS TO

INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE CHILD EXPLOITATION CASES:

The U.S. Attorneys have partnered with ICAC Task Forces that exist within their
districts and other federal, state and local law enforcement partners working in their
districts to implement Project Safe Childhood. Working with these partners, the U.S.
Attorneys have developed district-specific strategic plans to coordinate the
investigation and prosecution of child exploitation crimes; to identify and rescue
victims; and to coordinate local training, educational and awareness programs.

*MAJOR CASE COORDINATION BY THE CRIMINAL DIVISION:

The Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), in conjunction

with the FBI’s Innocent Images Unit, has integrated the Project Safe Childhood
Task Forces into pursuing local leads generated from CEOS major national
operations.

*INCREASED FEDERAL INVOLVEMENT IN CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND

ENTICEMENT CASES: Given the beneficial investigative tools and stiffer
punishments available under federal law, U.S. Attorneys and the federal
investigative agencies have increased the number of sexual exploitation
investigations and prosecutions. The goal is to ensure the worst offenders get the
maximum amount of jail time possible.

*TRAINING OF FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT:

Members of the Project Safe Childhood Task Forces have attended training
programs facilitated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
(NCMEC), the ICAC program and other ongoing programs, in order to be taught to
investigate and prosecute computer-facilitated crimes against children, as well as to
pursue leads from national operations and from NCMEC’s CyberTipline and Child
Victim-Identification programs.

*COMMUNITY AWARENESS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS:

Project Safe Childhood has partnered with NCMEC and the ICAC Task Force
program to raise awareness about the threat of online sexual predators and to
provide the tools and information parents and youngsters need in order to report
suspicious activity on the Internet. The public education campaign, featuring print,
broadcast and web content, will debut in the spring of 2007.

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