NCJ Number
218225
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 74 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2007 Pages: 40,41,43,45,47
Date Published
March 2007
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article describes the work of the Child Victim Identification Program (CVIP) of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which serves as the national clearinghouse for child pornography cases across the United States.
Abstract
As a result of CVIP's collection of data on child pornography investigations in the United States and around the world, more information has been obtained on the perpetrators of child pornography. In almost all cases tracked by CVIP, the abuser of the child was an adult with access to the child victim as a family member, teacher, or other person in a position of authority over or care for the child. Thirty-five percent of the abusers were a parent of the child victim, and 28 percent of the abusers were neighbors or trusted family friends of the child victim. Another disturbing trend found by investigators was the dramatic drop in the age of the child victims being sexually abused in child pornography. According to the CVIP, 58 percent of identified child victims are prepubescent. At the Federal level, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are working these crimes effectively. In addition, strong networks of trained law enforcement professionals are working at State and local levels through participation in the 46 federally funded task forces committed to stopping Internet crimes against children. The most critical function of CVIP is its ongoing effort to rescue the unidentified children seen in sexually exploitative images. CVIP analysts examine the images and videos and document all investigative clues that could help in locating the child victim. Many children have been rescued from ongoing exploitation as a result of the cooperative efforts between CVIP and law enforcement. A case example of the successful rescue of a child victim is presented.