According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), there are an estimated 603,000 registered sex offenders in the U.S. today.
ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 20 LAWFUEL – Law news, Law Jobs — 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 US 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 http://www.missingkids.com.
CONTACT:
NCMEC Communications
703-837-6111
SOURCE National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
