For Immediate Release
The Whitehouse Office of the Press Secretary
October 23, 2002

Today's Presidential Action

As part of his agenda to increase the safety of America's children, President Bush is increasing federal efforts to promote online safety. The President discussed his Administration's commitment to expanding the investigation and vigorous prosecution of child exploitation on the Internet. And, he urged the parents of America to take time to teach their children about staying safe online.

President Bush also called on the Congress to pass the Child Obscenity and Pornography Prevention Act. This bill, which has already passed the House, makes it illegal for child pornographers to disseminate obscene, computer-generated images of children.

Background on Today's Presidential Action

Earlier this month, President Bush hosted the first-ever White House Conference on Missing, Exploited, and Runaway Children to promote public awareness of the need to improve children's safety, and to generate recommendations and best practices from experts in the field.

One of the critical topics discussed at the White House Conference was the growing threat of cyberpredators. Nearly 30 million children and youth go online annually, and 75% of children between the ages of 14 and 17 use the Internet. Research by the University of New Hampshire found that one in five children between the ages of 10 and 17 received a sexual solicitation over the Internet in the last year. One in thirty-three received an aggressive solicitation - a solicitor who asked to meet them somewhere; called them on the telephone; or sent them regular mail, money, or gifts.

The Internet is a tremendous educational resource for parents, teachers, and children. Parental, private sector, and government efforts are continuing to improve online child safety and will help make the Internet a safer and ever more valuable tool for children. To that end, the Bush Administration is working aggressively to fight child exploitation and child pornography on the Internet.

The FBI Innocent Images National Initiative identifies and investigates sexual predators who use the Internet to exploit children. Within the past two Fiscal Years, Innocent Images prosecutions have increased 52% (from 421 to 641). The program will expand from 24 to approximately 30 undercover operations during FY 2003.

The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces, which are funded by the Justice Department, provide skills, equipment, and personnel to help state and local authorities combat child sexual exploitation. Since 1998, the Task Forces have helped train more than 1,500 prosecutors and 1,900 investigators; served 700 search warrants and 1,400 subpoenas; provided direct investigative assistance in more than 3,000 cases; and arrested more than 1,400 suspects. The President's 2003 Budget seeks to almost double funding for the program (from $6.5 million in FY 2002 to $12.5 million in FY 2003), which would expand the regional task force network from 30 to at least 40 states and provide national coverage.

Federal prosecutions for child exploitation and child pornography, which include Innocent Images prosecutions, are projected to increase 17% for FY 2002 ? a 22% increase in the past two Fiscal Years. With approval of the President's FY 2003 Budget, funding for the Justice Department's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section will have increased 44% in two years (from $3.4 million in FY 2001 to $4.9 million in FY 2003).

Examples of Recent Federal Actions Against Online Child Exploitation

The federal government is actively cracking down against online child exploitation, include the following operations:

Resources for Parents

President Bush also urged parents to take time to teach their children about how to stay safe while using the Internet.

There are a number of resources available to help parents increase their children's online safety, including several federal or federally-sponsored websites:

For more information on the President's initiatives, please visit www.whitehouse.gov