Homeland Security Ramps Up Arrests for Child Sexual Exploitation

The Department of Homeland Security arrested more than 4,000 people for alleged crimes related to sexual exploitation of children last year, a significant increase that reflects the agency’s growing role in combating the problem.

Homeland Security Investigations reported 4,459 arrests in fiscal 2022, compared with 3,776 during the same time period in 2021, according to a document first obtained by Bloomberg Government. HSI’s Child Exploitation Investigations Unit also helped identify or rescue 1,170 child victims last year, about the same level as the year before, and helped secure more than 2,000 convictions, up from 1,500.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last ...