Washington, DC (December 10, 2021) – The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) says the verdict against Josh Duggar is an important one that will draw more attention to the present and growing crisis of child sexual abuse material—an epidemic that law enforcement is drastically underequipped to fight.
“With child sexual abuse material (CSAM) proliferating on the internet, the verdict that found Josh Duggar guilty of possessing CSAM is a stark reminder that the proliferation of CSAM has grown exponentially and of how crucial it is that perpetrators be held accountable,” said Dawn Hawkins, CEO of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.
“There is more work to be done to confront the CSAM crisis in the U.S. and around the world. We grieve with anyone who has been impacted by CSAM, and we will continue to pursue ways to bring justice for survivors in the legislature and in the courts.”
A 2021 National Center for Missing and Exploited Children report found more than 21.7 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation were made to its CyberTipline – the most reports ever made in one year. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation advocates for governmental and corporate policies to better prevent and address all forms of child sexual abuse with a particular emphasis on the increased use of the Internet for facilitating these crimes.
