The National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction

and the Innocence Lost task forces, both of which are staffed by largely local investigators with awealth of experience in investigating crimes against children. The Department can learn much inthis area from the many NGOs operating to assist victims, and will organize “listening sessions”to aid in the development of plans to address this problem.The Department will work closely with the Departments of Education and Health and HumanServices to develop comprehensive strategies to combat the glorification of pimps andprostitution often found in popular culture. The Department will also focus resources oncoordinated training to include first responders and medical providers, so that these personnelcan better recognize the signs that a child might be a victim of forced prostitution.3. Child Sex TourismThe Threat Assessment revealed that some Americans capitalize on their relative wealth andtravel to foreign nations to purchase the sexual assault of children for as little as five dollars.Many countries are considered an easy target for these predators, due to a variety of reasons.CEOS, working with ICE and the FBI to address this problem, has traveled to countries wherechild sex tourism is high to gain intelligence about these activities to inform the Department’senforcement efforts. CEOS has conducted training for law enforcement in these high-riskcountries, and has met with foreign officials to foster a cooperative law enforcement relationship.PrioritiesThe Department will continue to increase its capacity to investigate Americans who sexuallyexploit children abroad. We will explore opportunities to partner with foreign law enforcementand NGOs who can assist in identifying victims and perpetrators. We will also pursueopportunities for international cooperation, information sharing, and training across borders toreduce this crime. The Department of State will be a key partner in these efforts, and theDepartment will pursue a close working relationship to develop strategies and initiatives tocombat child sex tourism. The Department will also explore formulating “jump teams” to travelto foreign hot spots for sustained efforts to coordinate with foreign law enforcement, and indeveloping proactive enforcement operations. In this area, like in the others in this Report,research is critical, and will be fully supported by the Department. Offender behavior is an arearipe for research, and will aid law enforcement in identifying those likely to offend in this way.4. Indian CountryThe Threat Assessment noted that there is a lack of data available to measure the threat thatsexual exploitation poses to children in Indian Country. There is, however, widespreadagreement among child exploitation professionals that the threat is a serious one.The Department, through the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Indian Country, has alreadycommitted resources to this problem, and will continue to maintain a strong focus on this uniquearea of the country. Resources are devoted to training investigators and prosecutors in this area.140