AST April 2018 Magazine AST April Magazine (3.30.18) | Page 30

Volume 22
April 2018 Edition
DHS S&T & ICE HSI Collaborate
to Save Children from Abuse &
Exploitation
Every day, news reports detail the ar-
rests of child predators and their horrif-
ic impact on innocent victims. “The data is staggering,” said DHS Science and Technolo-
gy Directorate (S&T) Program Manager Patricia Wolfhope.
With an estimated one million predators and
only 6,000 specialized law enforcement offi-
cials’ worldwide dedicated to fighting child ex-
ploitation, agents are outnumbered. “NCMEC’s analysis indicates the number of images being
collected and traded by offenders worldwide continues to
expand exponentially, and these images include graphic
and violent abuse featuring young children, including in-
fants.” 
“The number of reports received through the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) cyber
Child sexual and physical exploitation is ex- tip line has grown steadily each year, from 223,374 to
ploding online, and law enforcement officials 326,310 to 415,650 in 2010, 2011, and 2012, respec-
tively.”
need new tools to combat it.
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