DC Child Pornography Investigations

As a result of the Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1996, the Amber Hagerman Child Protection Act of 1996, and the PROTECT Act of 2003, the investigation and prosecution of all crimes related to the creation, distribution and possession of child pornography (and its underlying offenses) are more efficient. Moreover, the penalties for these crimes are much more serious than they were before 1996, and these laws serve as the standard of measure by which all U.S. states have since passed – or modified – their own child porn laws.

Portions of these acts also make it easier for local, state and national law enforcement agencies to band together to investigate and pursue child porn suspects domestically and internationally. As a result of these multijurisdictional and multinational coalitions, law enforcement’s efforts at pursuing these offenders are more streamlined and interconnected, therefore it may be in the best interest of those accused to hire a DC child pornography lawyer. The agencies that pursue offenders include:

The DC Metro Police (MPDC)

It investigates and prosecutes local child porn cases through its Criminal Investigative Division and its Computer Crimes Division.

MPDC is part of two multi-jurisdictional task forces that involve the federal and state governments of Virginia and Maryland to specifically investigate and pursue child pornographers (See Multi-jurisdictional Child Pornography Investigations section below). The DC Metropolitan Police Department, along with many local law enforcement agencies within the region, maintain a Sex Offender Registry.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)

The DOJ is the primary administrator of all federal criminal prosecutions. Most local and all federal prosecutions in DC are conducted by DOJ or the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia (USAO). Their jurisdiction extends to the borders of the District of Columbia.

In its efforts to enforce federal laws relative to child exploitation and obscenity, the primary DOJ investigative unit is its Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and its High Tech Investigative Unit (HTIU). And though CEOS and HTIU are under the direct purview of the DOJ; many of their investigative resources involve the FBI, other federal investigative agencies and specialized multi-jurisdictional task forces. The DOJ’s SMART division administers and registers sex offenders, monitors registrants, and maintains the National Sex Offender Registry.

The following federal investigative units assist in the investigation and prosecution of sexual offenses involving children:

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

This is the primary federal law enforcement and investigative bureau. It works with state, local, and other federal investigative divisions, including the DOJ’s, CEOS and HTIU. The FBI also works with many foreign governments and INTERPOL in building effective investigation networks to fight child pornography on a global basis and to curb the invasion of child porn from foreign shores.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

The DHS coordinates a multitude of investigations with many federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S. and the world to target child predation and pornography through its Operation Predator campaign. As an outgrowth of the War on Terror, DHS can become the lead investigative unit in any federal or state case if the suspects’ criminal actions are believed to pose a danger to national security.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

This agency was formerly known as the Immigration and Naturalization Service until 2002. That was when the INS was dissolved and many of its duties were absorbed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Two sub-agencies of the DHS now assist in investigating crimes associated with child predation: such as enterprise prostitution, child pornography and human trafficking of underage children. These agencies are the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which deals with immigration issues and investigations at our national borders, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which performs the same functions within U.S. borders.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)

This private, non-profit organization was established in 1984 by a Congressional act. The NCMEC is an information clearinghouse and resource for parents, children, law enforcement agencies, schools, and communities devoted to locating missing children. It also raises public understanding in the prevention of child abductions, sexual abuse, and pornography and works closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement in awareness campaigns, as well as tech-related investigations and database management.

Multi-jurisdictional Child Pornography Investigations

These criminal investigative enterprises are conducted through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Agencies that typically investigate these crimes include the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), as well as state and local law enforcement. The following local multi-jurisdictional task forces are involved in the investigation of child porn in the DC Metro area, along with the NCMEC.

The Northern Virginia/District of Columbia Internet Crimes against Children Task Force – This multi-jurisdictional body is composed of municipal and county law enforcement agencies in Northern Virginia and DC Metro Police. It is funded by federal, state, and local funds.
The Maryland/DC ICAC Task Force is comprised of 35 law enforcement agencies from around the state; including the Maryland State Police’s Computer Crimes Division. The task force is funded by federal, state, and local funds.

Often, conspiracies that involve those who produce and distribute child pornography—especially those that may involve weapons, drugs or generate revenue—can also draw the attention of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Bureau Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms & Explosives (ATF), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).