Protecting Children Through Strong Partnerships

According to Timothy Williams, Director of the United States National Central Bureau (USNCB), "there is nothing more important than securing the welfare of our children around the world."

USNCB, managed by the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, is the communications link between U.S. law enforcement agencies and their counterparts in INTERPOL's 188 member countries. USNCB is responsible for all INTERPOL notices on behalf of U.S. authorities and, in turn, for alerting U.S. authorities to the existence of INTERPOL notices issued by other countries.

USNCB is in a unique position to help in the global fight against child exploitation. It has proactively developed initiatives to assist in tracking convicted sex offenders, combating sex tourism, and eliminating the incidence of children exposed to violence. USNCB is committed to working with law enforcement and non-law enforcement partners to protect the safety and well-being of children through multiple initiatives.

Recovering Missing and Abducted Children

Almost daily, USNCB receives requests from INTERPOL's member countries to locate and recover children who may have been brought into the United States illegally from their nations of origin. USNCB coordinates with all appropriate law enforcement officials, foreign National Central Bureaus, the U.S. State Department, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to locate these children and secure their safe return. In addition, USNCB supports state, local, and tribal agencies within the United States by providing the same services for locating and ensuring the safe return of U.S. children who may have been taken to a foreign country.

Tracking Convicted Sex Offenders

USNCB helps track convicted sex offenders who relocate, visit, or are deported to foreign countries by issuing international notifications. Also, USNCB immediately notifies U.S. law enforcement agencies upon receiving information that convicted, foreign sex offenders are traveling to this country. USNCB also assists the U.S. Marshals Service and other federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies in apprehending noncompliant fugitive sex offenders who flee overseas.

Combating Sex Tourism

USNCB uses the INTERPOL notice system to—

• Track selected sex offenders in support of ongoing investigations.
• Locate and identify international victims and witnesses.
• Compile and analyze notices pertaining to the travels of sex offenders to forecast trends and identify areas of international focus.

Expanding Current Resources

Implementation of the Adam Walsh Act and other recent legislation has emphasized the importance of international cooperation in managing sex offenders, which has led to a tremendous increase in the number of U.S. states reporting convicted sex offenders who are traveling overseas. USNCB is proposing an expansion of the resources it currently dedicates to the fight against child exploitation. Director Williams has placed this initiative high on his list of priorities.