U.S. attorney urges New Jersey schools, youth groups to use DOJ resources to combat online child exploitation
NEW JERSEY — U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer is encouraging New Jersey schools, youth organizations, athletic programs and other community groups to take advantage of free Department of Justice training and prevention resources aimed at protecting children from online sexual exploitation and abuse.
The call comes as the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, or CEOS, launches an expanded effort to engage schools and other organizations in preventing the online exploitation of children.
In an open letter issued this week, Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva encouraged organizations that work with children to partner with the department on prevention and education efforts.
The resources are intended to help communities address emerging threats including online grooming, sextortion, sadistic online exploitation and the misuse of artificial intelligence to create sexually explicit deepfake images of children.
“The digital world is evolving faster than ever, and with it come increasingly sophisticated threats to our children. By the time law enforcement becomes involved, it is often too late to prevent the harm that has already been done to a victim. The Department of Justice is providing these resources to help parents, concerned citizens, and communities recognize the warning signs, take action, and, most importantly, prevent grave harm before it occurs,” Frazer said.
The initiative builds on child exploitation enforcement efforts already underway in New Jersey. Last month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office obtained an admission of guilt from a defendant who persuaded and enticed minors to produce and send child pornography. Another defendant was sentenced to 324 months in prison for multiple child exploitation offenses.
In June, the office secured a 320-month prison sentence for a defendant convicted of producing child pornography.
Training can be provided virtually or in person, depending on an organization’s needs. CEOS offers free prevention programming to schools and other organizations through presentations and webinars and can connect organizations with prevention experts.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey can also connect organizations with assistant U.S. attorneys and federal agents experienced in investigating and prosecuting online child exploitation and related offenses.
Organizations interested in arranging prevention programming or learning more about available resources can contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey at USANJ.CommunityOutreach@usdoj.gov.
