As a result of the pandemic, internet child abuse and sexual exploitation is on the rise, and law enforcement is finding it difficult to keep up with the overwhelming caseload.
Amidst one of the worst shootings in FBI history, which left two agents dead and three injured, reveals an overwhelming influx of internet child sexual abuse cases.
Broward Sheriff’s Office, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, reports initiation of over 200 cases and 40 arrests for offenses related to child exploitation in 2019 alone. It is estimated that cases have likely doubled in 2020, as the pandemic has driven more children, who are vulnerable to predator solicitation, online. Florida is not the only state to see an influx in cyber predator tips. Many states, including Georgia, report an overwhelming and strenuous caseload where agents “feel as though they will never reach all the children that need help.”
Online child exploitation and abuse is more common than people realize, reported former U.S. attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg. The facts and figures show that it is occurring right here in Broward County.