After the high-profile Larry Nassar case, a report released late last month by a Justice Department watchdog reveals ongoing failures within the FBI regarding investigations of child sexual abuse allegations. On Thursday, Inspector General Michael Horowitz highlighted 42 cases from the past three years that required “immediate attention” but did not receive it. Among these was a case where a victim continued to be abused for 15 months following the initial report, Bart Jansen reported in USA Today.
The report indicates that the FBI still struggles with conducting thorough investigations, failing to report cases to local law enforcement as mandated, and not adhering to its internal policies. A significant factor contributing to these issues is insufficient staffing. Agents handling child sexual abuse cases were overloaded, with some managing up to 60 cases simultaneously. This overwhelming caseload has led to instances where cases “fell through the cracks,” according to the report.
Despite implementing training, policy updates, and system changes since the Nassar allegations, the report identified numerous situations where the FBI failed to respond appropriately to new allegations of child abuse. In response, the FBI acknowledged its mistakes and stated it is working to prevent them in the future. A senior FBI official, speaking to the media before the report’s release, emphasized the bureau’s commitment to improving its procedures.
The FBI has agreed to all 11 of Horowitz’s recommendations and has already addressed two issues identified in the report. The agency argues that many of the flagged incidents were due to documentation errors rather than failures in investigative steps. FBI Executive Assistant Director Michael Nordwall noted that most flagged incidents involved the failure to properly document completed investigative steps or cases that required no further action.
Three years after Horowitz’s critical report on the FBI’s mishandling of allegations against Larry Nassar, who was convicted of abusing over 100 athletes, including Olympic champions Simone Biles and Aly Raisman, the new report sheds light on ongoing issues. From October 2021 to February 2023, the FBI opened 3,925 cases alleging child sexual abuse. Horowitz reviewed 327 incidents, with 42 flagged for immediate attention.
The report cites several cases that illustrate the FBI’s shortcomings:
- In December 2021, an allegation about a registered sex offender involved in sex with a minor was not acted upon promptly, leading to further victimization.
- In February 2022, a case involving interstate travel for sex with a minor was not referred to local law enforcement, resulting in the case being marked inactive.
- In September 2022, an anonymous tip about a suspect with previous sex offense convictions involved in trafficking minors did not receive timely follow-up, partly due to agent transfer and administrative delays.
In response to these 42 incidents, the FBI committed to adding documentation to 17 cases, taking further action in 18, determining no further action was necessary in five, and flagging two for awareness.
Staffing challenges were highlighted as a core issue, with FBI field offices proposing staffing reorganizations between 2020 and 2022 to handle crimes against children more effectively. However, only one agent transfer was approved during this period. Despite a rising number of cases, the number of agents dedicated to crimes against children decreased slightly from 432 in 2022 to 429 in 2023.
Lawmakers expressed strong disapproval of the report’s findings, with calls for hearings in September. Senator Richard Durbin, chair of the Judiciary Committee overseeing the FBI, labeled the report as “damning,” while Senator Richard Blumenthal described it as “stunning” and criticized the FBI’s continued mishandling of child abuse cases.
The report’s recommendations include:
- Implementing a monitoring system to ensure compliance with mandatory reporting of suspected child sexual abuse.
- Ensuring incidents involving imminent threats to children are handled within 24 hours.
- Improving communication with victims about available services.
- Enhancing oversight to ensure timely and appropriate response to leads.
The FBI has started addressing these recommendations, updating procedures for time-sensitive incidents and clarifying policies for field offices on handling new allegations. A senior FBI official reiterated the bureau’s commitment to ongoing improvements to prevent future errors.The report also revisited findings from the Nassar investigation, where significant procedural failures in the Indianapolis FBI office delayed the response to allegations against Nassar, allowing his abuse to continue. The Justice Department agreed on April 23, 2024, to a $138.7 million settlement with survivors, covering 139 claims. Overall, the report underscores the need for the FBI to enhance its policies and practices to better handle allegations of child sexual abuse and prevent further tragedies.
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