"The sweeping cuts, enacted soon after Donald Trump began his second term as US president, are putting vulnerable children at risk and impeding efforts to bring child predators to justice, according to four prosecutors and law enforcement officers specializing in cases of child sexual exploitation, speaking on the condition of anonymity. You don't want to speak too loudly, because you just fear retaliation, and that's a heavy hand to be dealt when you're just trying to do your job, one prosecutor said."
"Federal prosecutors are now operating under new austerity measures, put into place by the justice department, creating roadblocks to prosecuting alleged child predators, sources said. We need to justify all travel for training, trial preparation and meeting with victims. We need to justify why it's core mission', and the answer is almost always no, said one federal prosecutor who specializes in crimes against children."
The US Department of Justice cut funding and training resources for law enforcement investigating and prosecuting sex crimes against children. Major cuts include cancellation of the 2025 National Law Enforcement Training on Child Exploitation, an annual technical-training conference for prosecutors and state and federal officers on investigating online child sexual exploitation. The cuts, enacted soon after Donald Trump began his second presidential term, limit investigators' capacity and create roadblocks to bringing alleged child predators to justice. Prosecutors report fear of retaliation and burdensome austerity rules requiring justification for travel, training, trials, and victim meetings. Previous investigations show concurrent rollbacks in anti‑trafficking efforts and support for survivors.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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