DHS has only 7 child exploitation analysts, Hawley measure would fund 200 investigators
The Department of Homeland Security has just seven forensic analysts dedicated to child exploitation investigations nationwide, according to Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., whose proposal to fund 200 additional investigators and analysts is becoming law.
The measure, included in the massive $70 billion reconciliation package to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol, which passed Friday, would invest $108.5 million in child trafficking and exploitation enforcement. Hawley's office said it would be the largest federal investment ever made to combat child trafficking.
"The Senate just passed my legislation with Tim Tebow to rescue thousands of children trapped in sex trafficking," Hawley told Fox News Digital in a statement.
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"That’s two hundred new law enforcement officers to find and rescue kids trafficked by predators and a new initiative to coordinate local, state, and federal enforcement," he added. "This is the biggest surge against child trafficking ever by the federal government. Let’s go rescue these kids."
The provision, according to Hawley’s office, was inspired in part by former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, who testified March 3 during Hawley’s Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism on exposing the widespread child trafficking.
During his testimony, Tebow said that 338,000 unique IP addresses have downloaded, shared or distributed child rape images in the United States in a matter of months, but only a select few get investigated.
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The provision, based off of the Renewed Hope Act, seeks to give Homeland Security Investigations the resources to hire 40 new forensic analysts at the Victim Identification Laboratory at the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit of HSI, as well as 30 new child exploitation investigators at the Victim Identification Laboratory of the Child Exploitation Investigations Unit of HSI.
Additionally, it aims to give HSI the ability to bring on 130 additional forensic analysts and child exploitation investigators, as well as create a dedicated training program in victim identification for federal, state, and local law enforcement to collaborate more effectively on investigations.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and Tebow for comment but did not immediately receive responses.