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Press
Release
FIRST US MARSHALS BEGIN SPECIALIZED TRAINING IN HUNT FOR 100,000
MISSING SEX OFFENDERS
Registered Sex Offenders in the United States
Alexandria, VA – March 20, 2007 – Next
week, the first group of US Marshals will begin specialized training
as the first step in tracking down nearly 100,000 registered sex offenders
who are missing or non-compliant. Fifty deputy U.S. Marshals from
32 states and Puerto Rico will participate in training at the National
Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) to equip them with
cutting edge tools and the latest investigative techniques used to locate
fugitive sex offenders. The first of two five-day training programs
specifically designed for the Marshals will begin on March 26, at the
NCMEC Jimmy Ryce Law Enforcement Training Center.
There are 603,000 registered sex offenders in the U.S. and at least
100,000 are noncompliant, many of them literally missing. The Adam
Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act signed last summer tasked the Marshals
with tracking down fugitive sex offenders and increased the federal penalty
for noncompliance to a felony. The Act also mandates the creation
of a national sex offender registry database and website, and requires
states to make changes in their sex offender law by July 2009 in order
to create greater uniformity. One of those requirements is make
the failure to comply with state registration requirements a felony in
every state. Today, in 25 states, the failure to comply may be
treated as a misdemeanor. Since the Adam Walsh Act took effect
in July 2006, Marshals have located more than 1,300 noncompliant, fugitive
sex offenders.
“One in five girls and one in ten boys will be sexually victimized
in some way before they reach the age of 18. We know that sex offenders
who target children are likely to be repeat offenders,” said Ernie
Allen, President and CEO of NCMEC. “We need to know where
these predators are at all times. States need to implement the
new laws today and not wait until 2009.”
NCMEC has created a new Special Analysis Unit to search databases, analyze
information, and help identify and locate the fugitives, to enable the
U.S. Marshal’s Service to arrest them and bring them to justice. “We
are looking forward to continuing our successful partnership with NCMEC,” said
Art Roderick, Assistant Director for Investigations with the U.S. Marshals
Service. “This training will provide our deputy Marshals with vital
new tools to hunt down those who don’t want to be found.”
The training program will include sessions on sex offender classification
and behavior characteristics, the legal process, the Adam Walsh Child
Protection and Safety Act, and an overview of resources available to
law enforcement from NCMEC’s Case Analysis and Support Division,
Exploited Child Unit, and the new Special Analysis Unit.
The second five day specialized training session for U.S. Marshals is
scheduled to begin on May 21, 2007.
About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
NCMEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works in cooperation
with the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention. NCMEC's congressionally mandated CyberTipline,
a reporting mechanism for child sexual exploitation, has handled more
than 441,900 leads. Since its establishment in 1984, NCMEC has assisted
law enforcement with more than 127,700 missing child cases, resulting
in the recovery of more than 110,200 children. For more information
about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at
1-800-THE-LOST or visit its web site at www.missingkids.com.
Contact:
NCMEC Communications Department
(703) 837-6111
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