In addition to being prosecuted, child pornographers could now be deprived of property and profits obtained as a result of their criminal acts.
In FY 2004, Postal Inspectors arrested 329 suspects for child sexual exploitation offenses and reported 338 convictions in such cases (which may have originated in prior reporting periods). Incident to a search of a suspect’s property, Postal Inspectors may find evidence that the target of the investigation is also a child molester. As a result of Inspectors’ casework this past fiscal year, 97 child molesters were identified, and Inspectors rescued 229 child victims from further abuse and exploitation. U.S. Postal Inspectors work hard to preserve the public’s confidence in the mail. In part, they do this by ensuring the integrity of the mail—keeping illegal, dangerous, and potentially harmful items from the mailstream. If Inspectors find that a postal worker is committing a crime, such as stealing mail, embezzling postal funds, taking or distributing drugs on postal property, or in any way undermining the Postal Service, they advise postal managers of the problem, and appropriate steps are taken to penalize the employee or terminate employment. In 1977, the Protection of Children Against Sexual Exploitation Act became the first federal law specifically designed to protect children from commercialized sexual exploitation. In 1984, the Child Protection Act was passed to take the profit out of child pornography. Congress recognized that, to combat the sexual exploitation of children, the economic benefits had to be removed. In addition to being prosecuted, child pornographers could now be deprived of property and profits obtained as a result of their criminal acts.
