Crimes against children are among the worst in America, and technology has made it even easier for predators to reach their victims, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Tuesday.
But fighting sexual exploitation and other crimes targeting kids will remain a priority under his leadership, Sessions said during a speech in Atlanta. And President Trump has directed the Department of Justice to reduce crime, he said.
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Sessions spoke Tuesday morning at the opening session of the National Law Enforcement Conference on Human Exploitation at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel. The three-day conference, held for the fourth year in Atlanta, expects 1,500 people to attend. Sessions spoke to a packed ballroom after being introduced by U.S. Attorney John Horn.
“It is hard for any of us to believe that child exploitation happens — but it does,” Sessions said. “And it takes a special type of person to investigate and prosecute these despicable crimes. It demands courage and compassion, resilience and resourcefulness.”
Two decades ago, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force was created, and since then, it has grown into a network of 61 task forces, including more than 4,500 local, state and federal agencies, Sessions said. Task force investigations have led to more than 73,000 arrests of people suspected of sexually exploiting children — including 8,800 just in the last year.
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As the number of investigations and prosecutions into exploitation crimes increases, Sessions said, victims are getting even younger. Any child with access to a smart phone, tablet or computer is vulnerable to predators, he said. Investigators must constantly learn the latest ways predators target potential victims, including chat sites, social networking sites and mobile applications on encrypted devices.
With local, state and federal law enforcement working together, Sessions said the efforts send a clear message to those targeting children.
“Standing together, we will send a message to the predators and pimps, the child abusers and the sex-tortionists and the traffickers: You will not harm our kids,” Sessions said. “And we will never rest until we find you and bring you to justice for your appalling acts.”
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