Law enforcement officials in Los Angeles and across the country have been overwhelmed in recent months by a surge in tips about online child sex abuse, with social media platforms and other service providers flagging explicit content and suspicious interactions at an alarming rate.
With schools closed, youth activities canceled and kids spending more time online under stay-at-home orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic, sexual predators have ramped up their efforts to solicit pictures and videos, officials say.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a clearinghouse that disseminates tips to law enforcement, took in 4.1 million reports of child cyber abuse in April, a fourfold increase over April 2019, said John Shehan, head of the center’s exploited children division.
In March, the center received more than 2 million reports, more than double what it received in March 2019.
The surge has slowed in May, Shehan said, but the volume has remained above average.
“It was definitely a huge increase compared to the year prior, and has put a huge strain on law enforcement around the world, who are dealing with a pandemic and all of these reports coming in at the same time,” Shehan said.
The Los Angeles Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children unit, which processes tips from Shehan’s organization for five area counties before referring them to local agencies, received nearly 3,000 tips in April, up from 1,355 in March, said Lt. Anthony Cato, the unit’s commander.
More than half of the tips fell under the LAPD’s jurisdiction.
Let me interpret that: Law enforcement increases online sting operations in hopes of snaring people spending more time on the computer due to stay at home orders.
” 4.1 million reports of child cyber abuse in April” What kind of abuse was it and by whom? I got my money on children by children and most are not sexual. How much of these reports have been collaborated? Maybe 1 out of 70. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are campaigning for more money and nothing else.
Gotta keep the panic going, right??
Because “With children stuck at home and away from their friends and teachers, reporting of suspected child abuse and neglect has fallen off dramatically”, officials have noted.
Since the great majority of sexual offenses against children are committed by someone known to the child ….and those are not being reported….. they turn to the most convenient and timely form of “stranger danger”: “the scary dark interweb is coming to get your children!!😱”
Just another way for The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to justify trying to receive more funding. “Stranger Danger”, look out for “white vans” etc – stir up fear and get more money.
That the claim comes from NCMEC in the first place tells me its pretty dubious.
Abuse, Abuse, Abuse so what is abuse. Even Harry came up with something that makes a good point. Are computers abused, isn’t explortation abuse, or is calling someone a Son of a Pig abuse today. What about intent of abuse as in many of these internet situations. So how many abuses are their in a sting operation.
Is closing the mexican border abuse by governmental athority or does man actually know abuse. Sure we have this computer today and who gave the person the wisdom to invent this computer. Put it iin prospective and you will know who’s abusing today. I’m sure everyone can understand that. Nothing wrong with kids or adults using the internet but who is still in control of things.
Yes we have police that do these things and entice and sure they know their glame plan and intent. We all as the victim don’t even understand in many ways but if you “listen” than you understand. Yes these ordeals can get confusing but God is their in the good times and the bad times.
Exploiting can take on many forms or who exploited the lindbergh baby. Even Al Copone wanted to help from prison. All in all these registry ordeals are exploiting and inducing by false persuasion of inducement. Its more of a come on type of ordeal.
Now they call it “online child sex abuse.” It went from looking at dirty pictures of minors to possessing cp on your computer to now you’re sexually abusing those children by looking at those fotos, and oh its a violent crime too. The NCMEC & the victims rights industry are sick puppies for teaming up with fearmongering politicians that support draconian internet crime laws. What are these people going to do when “real crime” goes back up? Are they going to keep filling the federal pens with half of the offenders having done something on their computer? The fact that these “cybertips” keep rocketing up every year should tell these ‘rights’ idiots something. Those laws ain’t working. And once violent crime dramatically starts rising (and it will) if we stay at 20% unemployment because of covid, state and federal governments are going to start shelving some of these pet cybercrime projects pushed by vic rights people because states have to concentrate on getting & filling prisons with the big boys, the computer guys can wait.
Janice and kat while I’m sure adults get the raw end of the registry by manulipated means. Can you tell us if kids of pre 16 are caught up in this sex registry or is that confidentisal. Would that not be a bit sadistic in so many ways as compaired to adults or what would be the difference. I had never even thought about that but I’m sure that happens and I’m sure money extortation plays a lot in this ordeal by parents for theses kids.
This article troubles me. The main focus was on actual cases of abuse as opposed to sting set ups where no victim exists. These are real reports, which should give us pause to think about our families and how we prepare our children for safely entering the digital world. Simply dismissing the report as more propaganda for LE misses an important takeaway, keeping our loved ones safe online.
Most of the reports concern perpetrators overseas, so I don’t think this reflects negatively on our advocacy efforts. It’s not registrants committing these crimes. It’s criminal elements in other countries, who have more free reign to operate, safe from prosecution here in the US. They bombard us with malware, phishing attacks, and so it wouldn’t be a far stretch for them to exploit our kids for profit too.
We just need to be smart about online exposure in our households and let’s not bash LE when they pursue legitimate investigations into criminal activity. Anyone who does risks appearing to support this kind of criminal activity.
@Notorious D. Kennerly,
I am well aware the right wingers played their part in OMNIBUS94, and the Wetterling Act. I too can make both sides accountable. The thing about the right wingers is they despise the thought of government intervention into their rearing of their children, but felt compelled to play ball for somewhat different reasons. We can look to the huge database facility in Saratoga springs ( Project Angel Watch) as evidence of the point. There is another program attached to that facility, it is the PRYSM Program which you can find discussed here. Eff.org.
However the bill was Signed by Bill Clinton And they had control of both houxes. Repubs took it back in NOV.1994. However the nearly unanimous vote was cast with only 3 SENATE decenters( on HR5533). Russ Feingold being from my the one from my state to decent and voted Nay. The next cycle he was dumped by the DNCC and lost his bid for re-election.
I had the opportunity to ask the good Senator why he voted No on the bill. His response was ” It’s unfathomable ” but I’d not understand his response nor what he mean at that time(98). Now I understand he was dismayed about the electronic indenture of man to machine database property. A repackaging of slavery. Free men are paid to maintain machines. So here we have a Southern red neck Democrat from Arkansas reinstating slavery where the commodity produced is personal data collection and storage. Our government has long had database files of bad guys but never before had men been forced to maintain them by law.
If we extrapolate my use of anecdotal evidence into the current administration & the misuses of FISA Warrant we see the problem becomes very clear indeed. Political Security rather than a public’s security through the use of the electronic infrastructure. Mr. Snowden made that point clear. Again it will fall on the Republicans to stamp out the reoccurring scourge known as slavery.