    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [October 23, 2002]
    [Pages 1872-1875]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Children's Online Safety
    October 23, 2002

        Thank you all for coming. Welcome to the White House. And thanks for
    the work that most of you do on behalf of protecting this country's
    children. Because children are so vulnerable, they need the constant
    protection of adults. And because children are so vulnerable, they're
    often the targets of cruel and ruthless criminals.
        I am deeply saddened by the recent tragedy that we've seen here in
    Washington. There is a ruthless person on the loose. I've ordered the
    full resources of the Federal Government to help local law enforcement
    officials in their efforts to capture this person. Laura and I join our
    fellow Americans in prayer as we pray for the families and friends who
    have lost loved ones, as we pray for the safety of our fellow citizens,
    as we pray for the quick end to this period of violence and fear.
        Protecting children from sexual exploitation is also a priority. It
    needs to be a priority and is a priority of this country. Earlier this
    month, I convened the first ever White House Conference on Missing,
    Exploited, and Runaway Children, and those efforts continue today.
        I've just met with law enforcement representatives from the Federal,
    State, and local level from several States who spend their time tracking
    down and prosecuting online predators. These officials are impressive
    people. They're the best of America. They're doing difficult and
    disturbing and essential work. And I thank them for coming here today.
        Our Nation has made this commitment: Anyone who targets a child for
    harm will be a primary target of law enforcement. That's our commitment.
    Anyone who takes the life or innocence of a child will be punished to
    the full extent of the law.
        Today I want to discuss with you several aggressive steps we are
    taking to protect our children from exploitation and from danger on the
    Internet.
        I appreciate so very much Robert Mueller, the Director of the FBI, is here

    [[Page 1873]]

    with us today. I thank you for your service, for your good work. I want
    to thank the Deputy Attorney General of the Department of Justice, Larry
    Thompson, for being here. Mr. Deputy,
    thanks for coming. Bob Bonners, the
    Commissioner of the U.S. Customs Service, is with us today. They play an
    integral role in helping to catch these predators overseas.
        Federal, State, and law enforcement officers and prosecutors who are
    here with us today, ranging from California to Alabama to Maryland--from
    all around the country. I want to thank you all for being here to hear
    this progress and commitment that we share for our country.
        When a child's life or innocence is taken, a grave and unforgivable
    act has occurred. A parent's worst nightmare has become real. And you
    all here are on the frontlines of this great struggle to see to it that
    no parent has to live through the nightmare. That's what you're doing.
        The Internet is a remarkable technology. We've all learned that.
    It's revolutionized education, vastly increased the flow of information,
    increases our knowledge. We're now in closer touch with our family and
    friends. People are now connected across the globe. It's an exciting
    tool. But more than half of our Nation children now online--let me start
    over--more than half of the Nation is now online, and 75 percent of the
    children are online.
        The flow of information is freer and broader. Yet the new freedom
    presents us with an unprecedented challenge, a technology that brings
    knowledge also brings obscenity and danger. Until recently, the worst
    kind of pornography was mainly limited to red-light districts or
    restricted to adults or confined by geography, isolated by shame. With
    the Internet, pornography is now instantly available to any child who
    has a computer. And in the hands of the wrong people, in the hands of
    incredibly wicked people, the Internet is a tool that lures children
    into real danger.
        Sexual predators use the Internet to distribute child pornography
    and obscenity. They use the Internet to engage in sexually explicit
    conversations. They use the Internet to lure children out of the safety
    of their homes into harm's way. Every day, millions of children log on
    to the Internet, and every day we learn more about the evil of the world
    that has crept into it. In a single year, one in four children between
    the ages of 10 and 17 is voluntarily--involuntarily exposed to
    pornography. That's one in four children. One in five children receives
    a sexual solicitation over the Internet. One in 17 children is
    threatened or harassed. We've got a widespread problem, and we're going
    to deal with it.
        We don't accept this kind of degrading. It's unacceptable to
    America. We don't accept offensive conduct like this in our schools, in
    the commercial establishments, and we can't accept it in our homes. We
    cannot allow this to happen to our children. The chief responsibility to
    protect America's children lies with their parents. You are responsible
    for the welfare of your child. It's your responsibility.
        There are several practical things parents can do to protect their
    children from the dangers of online predators. First of all, pay
    attention to your children. If you love your children, pay attention to
    them. Know what they're doing. Share your experience with your children.
    Make it clear to your children about the potential online dangers they
    face. Make it clear to them the kinds of web sites they need to avoid.
        Children need to be told to never provide personal information to
    anyone online. It seems like a simple parental responsibility. Mothers
    and dads all across America need to do their job and make it clear to
    their children there can be danger by providing personal information.
    Don't share any passwords--that's a logical thing for a mom or a dad to
    do, tell their children not to share a password with a total stranger.
    Don't agree to meet with somebody they've never met. Don't agree to meet

    [[Page 1874]]

    with somebody that chats them up on the Internet, unless the mom or dad
    is with them.
        Parents should keep computers in a central location and check up on
    what their kids are doing. They ought to not ignore what their children
    are doing. They ought to pay attention to their children. They have a
    responsibility. A mother or dad ought to pay just as much attention to
    their child when they're on the Internet as if they're in the playground
    or walking in the mall.
        Parents have the first and foremost responsibility. Yet we as a
    society share this duty as well, and that's what we were talking about
    today. Parents need allies in the upbringing of their children. Our
    Nation should make the essential work of mothers and fathers easier, not
    harder. Our Government, at every level, must take the side of
    responsible parents, and we will.
        We're waging an aggressive nationwide effort to prevent the use of
    the Internet to sexually exploit and endanger children. That's what
    we're doing. I want to share some of that with you today. Through an FBI
    program called Innocent Images, we identify, we investigate, and we
    prosecute sexual predators across the country.
        FBI agents are obtaining evidence of criminal Internet activity by
    conducting undercover operations, using fictitious screen names and
    entering into online chat rooms. I had the honor of listening to one
    such FBI agent today. She was telling us what it's like to deal with
    these sick minds. Interesting, afterwards I said, ``It must be tough to
    do the job you do.'' She says, ``I've got two children. I don't want it
    to ever happen to any child.'' I appreciate your dedication.
        Innocent Images prosecutions increased by more than 50 percent over
    the last 2 years. We're making progress. Just like we're hunting the
    terrorists down one at a time, we're hunting these predators down one at
    a time too. Based on the progress, I'm pleased to announce that we will
    expand this program and significantly increase the funding in the next
    fiscal year. We will also seek to almost double funding for the Internet
    Crimes Against Children Task Forces, from $6.5 million in fiscal year
    2002 to $12.5 million in fiscal 2003. These task forces help State and
    local authorities enforce laws against child pornography and
    exploitation.
        Since 1998, the task forces have helped train more than 1,500
    prosecutors and 1,900 investigators. They've served 700 search warrants
    and 1,400 subpoenas. The task forces have provided direct, investigative
    assistance in more than 3,000 cases. They've arrested more than 1,400
    suspects. These task forces are a great success. They're a great success
    because we've got a lot of good people working on these projects, a lot
    of dedicated Americans whose stomachs turn when they realize what's
    happening to our children, great Americans who decided to do something
    about it. This additional funding I've announced means that in--we'll
    increase the number of regional task forces up to 40 around the country.
        Our efforts to fight Internet exploitation of children extend
    throughout this Government, throughout all levels of government. The
    U.S. Postal Inspection Service provides an important role in tracking
    sexual predators, because child pornographers often use the mail to
    purchase obscene materials off the Internet. In Operation Avalanche,
    postal inspectors created an undercover web site which they used to
    bring down what is to believe--what is believed to be the largest
    commercial child pornography enterprise ever encountered by law
    enforcement authorities in the United States. It started in Texas. It
    ended in Texas because of the hard work of the postal inspectors, the
    good work of prosecutors, and the sentencing of one tough Federal judge.
        The Customs Service is conducting Operation Hamlet, which earlier
    this year dismantled an international ring of child molesters, an
    international ring of sick minds. Acting on a tip from European
    authorities,

    [[Page 1875]]

    customs officers tracked down child molesters in the United States, many
    of whom were molesting their own children and distributing the images of
    these children on the Internet. Authorities have identified 25
    individuals involved in this ring, 14 of whom were Americans. Through
    Operation Hamlet, 65 children have been rescued.
        We're taking aggressive steps to protect children from exploitation
    and victimization. And the United States Congress can help by passing
    the ``Child Obscenity and Pornography Prevention Act.'' The House has
    passed this important bill, and I want to thank them for their good
    work.
        The House passed a bill which makes it illegal for child
    pornographers to disseminate obscene, computer-generated images of
    children. It's an important piece of legislation. The Senate needs to
    act soon. The Senate needs to get moving and join the House in providing
    our prosecutors with the tools necessary to help shut down this
    obscenity, this crime--these crimes against children.
        When a child's life or innocence is taken, a grave and unforgivable
    act has occurred. A parent's worst nightmare has come real. The people
    in this room are on the frontlines of a great struggle, determined to
    see that no parent is forced to live through a nightmare.
        I'm tremendously grateful for the good works. I want to thank you
    all for being true patriots. I want you to know, at the Federal level,
    we're joining in the fight. We'll go after them, one person at a time,
    to make America a promising place for everybody who lives here.
        May God bless your work, and may God bless America. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:15 p.m. in Room 450 of the Dwight D.
    Eisenhower Executive Office Building. In his remarks, he referred to the
    sniper attacks in the Washington, DC, area which began October 2 and
    left 10 dead and 3 injured. The Office of the Press Secretary also
    released a Spanish language transcript of these remarks.