Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of Department of Homeland Security, said they are spearheading the fight against online child exploitation and abuse on Nov 18. This announcement was made in alignment with the United Nations' World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation.
"Every day, the Department of Homeland Security leads the fight against online child exploitation and abuse. On World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, we reaffirm our commitment to these efforts." Mayorkas said.
"Our Department recently added a new mission to our strategic DHS-wide priorities, the first since 2010: to combat crimes of exploitation, protect the victims, and hold the perpetrators accountable," he said in a thread on Platform X. Mayorkas added DHS was being joined by the Secret Service and personnel from Homeland Security Information were working together to fight child exploitation. "We work closely with our federal partners and international allies to combat this worldwide scourge. Through our U.S.-Australia Joint Council, we are sharing best practices, raising awareness, enlisting new partners, saving victims, and bringing justice to the perpetrators.
According to a news release, in honor of the United Nations’ World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence, the United States and Australian governments reaffirmed their commitment to combating child exploitation and abuse in our communities both online and internationally.
This growing global issue is being fueled by the unchecked rise in digital technologies. Online child sexual exploitation and abuse is increasingly prevalent, commodified, and worsened by the speed, scale, and scope of digital technologies, according to the media release. New and emerging technologies, like generative artificial intelligence (AI), have further exacerbated risk of harm to youth but also provide opportunities to tackle the threat. The United States and Australia are steadfast in combating all forms of child exploitation and abuse.
Secretary Mayorkas emphasized on the grim reality and complexity of these crimes in his statement. "The heinous crimes of online child exploitation and abuse are, tragically, on the rise throughout the world. There is no greater law enforcement imperative than to protect our children from this depravity," said Mayorkas in the release. "We must also hold the perpetrators accountable. These online crimes know no geographic boundaries, and the perpetrators are exploiting technological advances to manipulate images and make it more difficult for law enforcement to detect real versus fake images and identify and save true victims."
