A Department of Justice Inspector General report has uncovered severe deficiencies in the FBI’s handling of child sexual abuse cases. The review found that the FBI failed to comply with mandatory reporting requirements in nearly half of the cases examined, leaving numerous incidents of horrific child abuse unreported and unresolved.
The report, which reviewed over 300 cases from 2021 to 2023, revealed that the FBI only met the required 24-hour reporting window in 43% of instances. This failure to act promptly has raised serious concerns about the FBI’s ability to protect vulnerable children from unforgivable abuse.
In one particularly disturbing case, the FBI delayed taking investigative action for more than a year after receiving an allegation against a registered sex offender. During this time, the offender was able to continue his abusive behavior, highlighting the severe consequences of the FBI’s inaction.
These findings come after the FBI’s previous failures in the Larry Nassar case, where delays in addressing allegations allowed Nassar to continue abusing his victims for months before his eventual arrest in 2016. Despite promises of reform, the report suggests that the FBI is still struggling to manage and report critical cases of child abuse effectively.
A senior FBI official admitted that the bureau has made mistakes but defended the agency by citing overwhelming workloads, an influx of tips, and budget constraints as contributing factors. However, these explanations are unlikely to quell public concern over the FBI’s ability to protect children from disgusting child abuse.
The report calls for immediate reforms to address these significant shortcomings in the FBI’s handling of child abuse cases. As the safety of countless children is at stake, the FBI must take decisive action to correct its course and ensure that no child falls through the cracks.
