[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 9 (Thursday, February 7, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. NELSON of Florida:
  S. 1920. A bill to require that the Attorney General conduct a study 
regarding the ability of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to prevent 
and combat international crimes involving children, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, today I introduced the 
International Child Safety Improvement Act of 2002. This legislation is 
intended to improve the Federal Bureau of Investigation's ability to 
prevent and combat international crimes involving children.
  The number of people who use the Internet to meet children and commit 
criminal acts, including illegal sexual acts, is on the rise. Some of 
these cases occur in other countries, but involve American kids.
  Just over a year ago, a 15-year-old girl from Mulberry, FL 
disappeared only to be found in Greece living with an alleged German 
sex offender. The 35-year-old German man had met this young girl 
through the Internet and enticed her to run away from home. Law 
enforcement authorities were able to eventually track her down and 
return her to her distraught parents. The process of finding the girl 
exposed flaws in the FBI's ability to prevent and combat these crimes 
when they occur in foreign jurisdictions.
  My legislation would require the Attorney General, in cooperation 
with the Secretary of State, to evaluate the way in which the FBI 
investigates international crimes involving children. The Attorney 
General would be required to report back to the Congress with 
recommendations for improving the FBI's practices and procedures for 
investigating international crimes involving children. The bill also 
directs the FBI to coordinate and share information with the 
International Criminal Police Organization, the world's preeminent 
organization whose mission is preventing or detecting international 
crime, whenever such an investigation starts.
  I would urge my colleagues to review and pass this legislation as 
soon as possible. Action must be taken to improve the way in which 
these crimes are investigated. Our kids need better protection from 
predators and we need to act quickly to ensure that the FBI has the 
procedures in place and the resources it needs to fight these crimes 
effectively.
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