Child Exploitation
Child exploitation is generally committed by someone a child trusts.
HSI is a global leader in the fight against child exploitation. This heinous crime harms the most vulnerable in our society: our kids. As technology evolves and more people have access to the internet, children are at a greater risk than ever.
HSI’s special agents and analysts around the world are dedicated to countering this threat. They work with our partners to protect children from exploitation and investigate and arrest predators.
Our victim centered approach prioritizes the recovery and support of victims, ensuring they receive the care and assistance they need to heal. Through initiatives like Project iGuardian®, we also focus on educating and empowering the public to protect themselves and their loved ones from these crimes.
The Child Exploitation Threat
Children are typically exploited by people they trust. Predators can be someone a child knows personally or someone online who gains their trust over time.
Predators abuse that trust to sexually exploit or assault minors. They groom, deceive and coerce children and teens into committing sexual acts in person or online. They often create, share, sell, purchase and view child sexual abuse material, which we call CSAM, using the Internet - crossing physical and digital borders as the material moves between people and servers from one country to another. When images and videos continue to circulate online, children are revictimized.
Predators also travel internationally to assault children and engage in illegal sexual conduct with minors, which is also called sex tourism. Ease of international travel enables them to move all around the world to commit these horrific crimes.
No child is immune from the threat of exploitation.
Child exploitation can have devastating, long-lasting, and profound effects on the lives of victims and their loved ones. Recognition of this fact drives our mission and reinforces our resolve to safeguard children from predators.
https://www.ice.gov/about-ice/hsi/investigate/child-exploitation
