Federal Prosecution of Child Sex Exploitation Offenders

December 2007 NCJ 219412

Abstract:

Presents Federal criminal case processing statistics on child sex offenses, including sex transportation, sexual abuse, and child pornography. The report includes data on case processing, such as the number of cases referred, prosecuted, and convicted. Defendant characteristics at initial hearing for the three types of offenses are provided. Data are also presented on changes in the number of defendants charged from 1994 to 2006.

Highlights include the following:

--A total of 2,039 suspects were prosecuted for Federal sex offenses in 2006, representing about 2.5% of the 83,148 suspects prosecuted in Federal courts.

--The main sex exploitation offense referred to U.S. attorneys shifted from sex abuse (73%) in 1994 to child pornography (69%) in 2006.

--Convicted sex offenders sentenced to prison increased from 81% in 1996 to 96% in 2006. ..Source DOJ..