[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 42 (Tuesday, April 12, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E613]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E613]]
             CETS: A NEW TOOL TO COMBAT CHILD EXPLOITATION

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                           HON. EARL POMEROY

                            of north dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 12, 2005

  Mr. POMEROY. Mr. Speaker, the exploitation of children online is a 
grave and growing threat, both here in the United States and worldwide. 
By 2005, more than 77 million of our children and teenagers will use 
the Internet, entering chat rooms and other public online areas, at 
times instant messaging with strangers ready to prey on our Nation's 
young people.
  Simply put, millions of children and teens are now at risk of 
abduction or worse. Here's more startling data:
  55 percent of children have given their personal information (name, 
sex, age, etc) over the Internet.
  One in ten children has met someone face to face they previously met 
online.
  37 percent of children say their parents would disapprove if they 
knew what they did, where they went, or with whom they chatted on the 
Internet.
  40 percent of children do not discuss Internet safety with their 
parents.
  In short, the borderless nature of the Internet has allowed sexual 
predators to stalk innocent children and traffic in child pornography 
with near impunity.
  Fortunately, new technology may provide powerful new weapons in law 
enforcement's arsenal to combat child exploitation: The Child 
Exploitation Tracking System, also known as ``CETS.'' CETS is a 
computer application developed by Microsoft in partnership with 
Canadian and international law enforcement agencies to help law 
enforcement tackle the growing problem of online exploitation of 
children. This application, which will be provided free of charge to 
law enforcement agencies, can help efforts to collaboratively 
investigate these crimes and bring criminals to justice.
  CETS has been deployed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Canada 
and can be used by all major law enforcement agencies in Canada 
involved in child exploitation policing. Discussions between Canadian 
law enforcement and US law enforcement agencies have already taken 
place, with the hope of deploying CETS in the United States. This new 
technology is also supported by the National Center for Missing and 
Exploited Children.
  This technology, combined with our efforts to educate children about 
risks online, can help reduce the incidence of online child 
exploitation.

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