Operation Predator
Encyclopedia
Operation Predator is an initiative started on July 9, 2003 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE), a division of the Department of Homeland Security, to protect children from sexual predator
s.
Operation Predator targets foreign national sex offenders (deportable aliens), child traffickers, child-sex tourists
, and people involved in all levels of child pornography
, from producers to distributors to consumers.
As of January 2007, there have been over 9,300 arrests under Operation Predator. Over 1,000 of those arrests occurred within the first three months of the operation. More than 85% of the arrests made as part of Operation Predator have been arrests of foreign national sex offenders whose crimes make them removable from the United States. Approximately 40% of these are lawful permanent residents and approximately 40% of these are illegal aliens. To date, more than 5,000 of these predators have been deported. They have also made arrests against human smugglers and child pornographers.
Operation Predator has become the main force behind President Bush's
PROTECT Act
, which makes it illegal for Americans to travel abroad in order to have sex with a minor. This growing sex tourism
industry is fueled by citizens of wealthy countries (mostly Americans, who make up an estimated 25% of all offenders) going to places such as Thailand
, Cambodia
, and Costa Rica
, where they believe they will be protected by lax child protection laws or corrupt law enforcement. Those three nations have been working with ICE and World Vision
on a public awareness campaign to stop this industry. Cambodia and Mexico
had already been working closely with ICE to stop child sex tourism in their countries.
Some of Operation Predator's other major successes to date include a single web portal to various Megan's Law
databases and creating a National Child Victim Identification System. On the international front, they have increased cooperation with INTERPOL
and various international governments to combat child pornography and child sex tourism.
The Department of Justice
estimates that somewhere between 300,000 and 400,000 U.S. children are sexually exploited every year. The United Nations
estimates that one million children are forced into prostitution every year. ICE estimates that child sex tourism victimizes upwards of two million children a year.
, the U.S. Secret Service, the Justice Department
, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
.
This system aims to provide federal and state agencies with a central database of child pornography
to aid prosecution, and to positively identify children in child pornography.
The National Child Victim Identification System has been used to convict criminals by proving that the pornographic images the defendants possess are of real children, and not morphed or virtual.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security , responsible for identifying, investigating, and dismantling vulnerabilities regarding the nation's border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security...
(ICE), a division of the Department of Homeland Security, to protect children from sexual predator
Sexual predator
The term sexual predator is used pejoratively to describe a person seen as obtaining or trying to obtain sexual contact with another person in a metaphorically "predatory" manner. Analogous to how a predator hunts down its prey, so the sexual predator is thought to "hunt" for his or her sex partners...
s.
Operation Predator targets foreign national sex offenders (deportable aliens), child traffickers, child-sex tourists
Sex tourism
Sex tourism is travel to engage in sexual activity with prostitutes.The World Tourism Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, defines sex tourism as "trips organized from within the tourism sector, or from outside this sector but using its structures and networks, with the primary...
, and people involved in all levels of child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
, from producers to distributors to consumers.
As of January 2007, there have been over 9,300 arrests under Operation Predator. Over 1,000 of those arrests occurred within the first three months of the operation. More than 85% of the arrests made as part of Operation Predator have been arrests of foreign national sex offenders whose crimes make them removable from the United States. Approximately 40% of these are lawful permanent residents and approximately 40% of these are illegal aliens. To date, more than 5,000 of these predators have been deported. They have also made arrests against human smugglers and child pornographers.
Operation Predator has become the main force behind President Bush's
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
PROTECT Act
PROTECT Act of 2003
The PROTECT Act of 2003 is a United States law with the stated intent of preventing child abuse. "PROTECT" is a "backronym" which stands for "Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today"....
, which makes it illegal for Americans to travel abroad in order to have sex with a minor. This growing sex tourism
Sex tourism
Sex tourism is travel to engage in sexual activity with prostitutes.The World Tourism Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations, defines sex tourism as "trips organized from within the tourism sector, or from outside this sector but using its structures and networks, with the primary...
industry is fueled by citizens of wealthy countries (mostly Americans, who make up an estimated 25% of all offenders) going to places such as Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, and Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, where they believe they will be protected by lax child protection laws or corrupt law enforcement. Those three nations have been working with ICE and World Vision
World Vision
World Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...
on a public awareness campaign to stop this industry. Cambodia and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
had already been working closely with ICE to stop child sex tourism in their countries.
Some of Operation Predator's other major successes to date include a single web portal to various Megan's Law
Megan's Law
Megan's Law is an informal name for laws in the United States requiring law enforcement authorities to make information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders. Individual states decide what information will be made available and how it should be disseminated...
databases and creating a National Child Victim Identification System. On the international front, they have increased cooperation with INTERPOL
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
and various international governments to combat child pornography and child sex tourism.
The Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
estimates that somewhere between 300,000 and 400,000 U.S. children are sexually exploited every year. The United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
estimates that one million children are forced into prostitution every year. ICE estimates that child sex tourism victimizes upwards of two million children a year.
National Child Victim Identification System
The National Child Victim Identification System is a massively inter-agency system run by Operation Predator in conjunction with the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection ServiceUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
, the U.S. Secret Service, the Justice Department
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is a private, non-profit organization established in 1984 by the United States Congress.-Establishment and overview:...
.
This system aims to provide federal and state agencies with a central database of child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
to aid prosecution, and to positively identify children in child pornography.
The National Child Victim Identification System has been used to convict criminals by proving that the pornographic images the defendants possess are of real children, and not morphed or virtual.