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Alex Wong / Getty Images of North America
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton speaks as John Ryan, CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, left, listens during a news conference in Washington on Thursday.
In just over a month, more than 120 sexually exploited children -- one just 19 days old -- were identified in an international operation that found them depicted in child pornography on the Internet, U.S. officials said Thursday.
In Operation Sunflower, led by agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigation unit from Nov. 1 to Dec. 7, 123 victims of child sexual exploitation were identified, ICE Director John Morton said at a press conference in Washington.
Of that group, 44 children had been living with their abusers, and 79 children were exploited by people outside of their home or were victimized as children and are now adults. Seventy female and 53 male victims rescued; 110 of the victims were identified in 19 U.S. states and the rest were identified in six foreign countries.
“Results [of the operation] were significant but grim, a sad reminder to us all that child online exploitation is a real part of our lives and absolutely demands our full attention,” Morton said. “The rescues highlight the depth and global nature of this problem.”
In the investigation, HSI and partner law enforcement agencies arrested 245 people. Among them were a first-grade teacher from Chula Vista, Calif., and an airline pilot, NBCSanDiego.com reported.
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“As satisfying as the arrests have been, today is a day of mixed emotions because this operation is ultimately a tale of the perverse, pervasive and violent exploitation of children, very young children to satisfy a very dark pleasure of twisted adults,” Morton said.
Of the victims identified during Operation Sunflower, five were under the age of 3, and one of those was just 19 days old. Thirty others were below the age of 10, officials said.
“The age of the victim has always been a problem. The Internet has just allowed a much greater immediacy to the abuse, and we’re seeing numerous instances of life child abuse that has been streamed over the Internet,” Morton said.
From the results of Operation Sunflower, named after ICE’s first successful case under the new Victim Identification Program, Morton said a few trends emerged.
Most notably, younger children were more often abused and more women were directly involved in carrying out the abuse, he said.
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Additionally, the victims of child sexual exploitation increasingly have an international nexus, said John Ryan, CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
“The problem of child exploitation is hardly confined to the United States,” Ryan said Thursday. “The Internet has made this problem such that almost every case we touch and investigate has a very strong overseas component.”
"We know that there's more work to be done," Ryan said. "Anyone could know these victims, not knowing that they're being harmed. They could be your neighbors' children, your child's classmate, or even your own child."
Morton said the only answer to child exploitation is "a relentless fight."
"Whenever our investigations reveal the production and distribution of new child pornography online, we will do everything we can to rescue the victim and prosecute the abuser, even if takes us years or around the world to do it," he said.
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Now you see why your kids go out and shoot up a school. Because they have people out there that will molest kids. Probably the school shooter was molested. They should round everyone of these molesters and drown them.
Start executing these people, NOW. If you can prove they are commiting crimes against children, kill them. There should be no discussion about the death penalty when it comes to these types of crimes. There is not a Psycologist on the planet, that won't say that these perverts can NOT be rehabilitated. They will not change, and will undoubtedly recommit these crimes if allowed to live. kill them.. JUST FKN KILL THEM!!! don't over think it, just do it. We will kill Taliban with drones, and let child molesters live?? We gotta have better priorities.
There are not many parents and grandparents in this world, who would not volunteer to light these monsters up. We talk about protecting our children, then we better start doing the job. Start with these maggots. EXECUTE THEM!
Great job ICE.... Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great Job to catch these creeps! But, why doesn't the Federal Government go after the Abusers, Bullies, Hazers, Molestors and Rapists allowed by the Boy Scouts to be protected behind 3,200 additional secret files? Why won't the B.S.A release these files for the common good? Are the Boy Scouts still covering up EXPLOITATION OF MINORS? Why doesn't Congress insist on an investigation: They Charter the Boy Scouts of America! The President of the United States is the Honary Chairman! Does the Honary Chairman care about the welfare of Children? Where is the Justice Department stand on this?
There is a special place, in hell, for child abusers. I think these monstrosities are sick, with no chance for rehabilitation, and should be put away, for life, or executed.
Thing is, cops can't stop this. Most offenders are made public by vigilantee hackers, and kudos to them, but the cops don't have the time to go on the deep web to scower for pedos when there are gangbangers on the streets! Download Tor and a proxy, you can get into the deepweb, and there's not only kiddy stuff, but bomb parts, assassinatians, drugs, and I kid you not cults of Satan. And with the proxy you made the purchase, dump the code and cannever be found.
I am all for exposing this but the CEO's last name is Ryan...Wow I question that one for sure. Ryan.... Something smells here.
What? Why is the last name an issue for you?
Now....Let us take the "OUR" guns and just kill these sorry humans.... Any questions???? I know somewhere there is a democrat raising their hand.......
This just makes me want to be freaking sick. Wtf is wrong with people?!
WTF -19 days old? Just vile. This is a sick sick world. We need to learn to care about each other in order to stop this madness.
Just take the guns period, "any questions" You mean you need a gun to be a man. There are other forms of justice. Little boys need their toys to be men I guess. LMAO
God bless these dedicated investigators. i cannot imagine the horrors they have to see in order to save these children. I don't think I could see that stuff and still sleep at night.
Give them all the support to catch these parasites.
This article just scratches the surface of the problems with Porn Pedophilia Bestiality and Rape. But hey Porn is big business and it has become completely disgusting. Porn is like heroin to Pedophiles.
Then the Pedophiles need to be put out of their misery. They are a plague on our children.
First of all, what a terrible subject to even discuss, but yet it must be and it should be talked about. But the article says "it could be your own child"?!?!?!?! - a resounding NO! I am completely aware of who my children interact with (except at school of course). But I see, too often, the lazy ass parents who let their children come over to my house without even meeting me first.
Omg Susan, you hit the nail on the head! My husband and I are always wondering how most of the parents to our daughter's friends never call us or introduce themselves.
The same story over and over. Do they really even punish the people that commit these crimes? A priest in my area was just sentenced yesterday on child porn charges. Now he gets three hots and a cot, more than likely in segregation because our justice system makes sure we protect the CRIMINAL, nevermind the victims. They should have a brand and/or tattoo on body clearly visible so everyone knows that a child molester is standing next to you. Then you punch him in the face, repeatedly.
What is changing these peoples brain chemistry to cause this sickness to be so prevalent in our society? I don't care what you say, it has increased incredibly compared to the 50s. These people need to be used a Guinea pigs to figure it out, then execute them and dissect their brains and figure out how to prevent it in the future. Find a blood test or something to find out if someone has it and lock them up before they do it.
This has always been prevalent but a dark secret, and is actually probably going down. For centuries perps could abuse and never face consequences.It wasn't until the l980s in this country that adult women were able to start telling their stories of childhood abuse...and when the first books came out about it, there was an outcry that changed this country. There were also pedophile groups (The False Memory Syndrome) who organized and shamed survivors and their therapists for years...until several of their board members were discovered to be members of NAMBLA and/or had written articles in favor of pedophilia. Children are being believed and better protected than any time in history.It is still poorly done, but it really is getting better.The media coverage, while helpful with education, also makes it look as if the numbers are going up.
Too bad DHS doesn't try this hard to save the United States of America from the socialist threat that has infiltrated the White House.
Jerry Sandusky is smiling and saying " I told you so". He did mention that the upside for his personal situation is the renewed focus by law enforcement on sexual molestation.
As to the comment made that the 19-day old was probably just used in a picture...........this was just the beginning! Just a picture??????
I think it should be pretty simple,Rape or sexual abuse of a child DEATH.Owning distribution or the like without proven sexual contact,Castration plus life in prison,or death, perps choice.Trial, conviction , immediate execution of sentence.
And, of course, some moron has to pull politics in this and point to the President.
was pointing to a valiant exhaustive effort made by law enforcement, but not made to an equally greater threat. Gotta ask yourself why. And if you don't than it is you who are the moron. Why is it that smoke screens like this story turn you on but you have no interest in the bigger stories? Bet you voted for Barry.
Maybe WorldOfMorons, "bigger stories" such as the nutjob political ranting of idiots is not as important in the larger scheme of things, than raping infants. Your double entendre "turn on" is pathetic also. If there is a World Of Morons, you are there Supreme Leader.
How many of those children are now inflicted with dissociative identity disorder (DID) and will now suffer from PTSD in the near future! And how many of those POS assailants will get just a slap on the wrist for what they done!
kill those f##king monsters!!!!!
This is reason #2 for the people to keep and bear arms ~ right behind protecting the populatoin from tyranny of government ~
the people who engage in this stuff or consume the materials ~ they dont change. There is no fixing them. They get grouped into the trailer park or under the bridge everyone knows about ~ and they stay there until they do something else horriffic. protect the innocent.
Thanks ICE
Luke 17:2
Give it up WorldofMorons.........you people lost. Socialist threat? We're talking about child abuse here.