On April 20, 2026, the Department of Provincial Administration (DoPA) in Bangkok, Thailand, held a ceremony to recognize the work happening on the ground to fight crimes of human trafficking and child exploitation in Thailand. Under the country’s Ministry of Interior, DoPA is tasked with maintaining public safety and national security and overseeing civil registration, local governance, and community-level legal enforcement across the country’s 76 provinces.  At the ceremony, DoPA presented commemorative pins and certificates…

The month of June is Internet Safety Month, dedicated to raising awareness intended to encourage safe, responsible use of the internet among children, teens, and young adults. This month is also cause – or “Paws” in this case – for celebration as Our Rescue announces its newest Graduating Class of…

Large-scale events, like the 2026 FIFA World Cup, bring together communities, fans, businesses, and visitors from around the world. With matches taking place across 16 host markets, the World Cup requires extensive planning and coordination among public safety agencies, community organizations, and multidisciplinary partners long before the first match begins…

The passage and signing of the Renewed Hope Act marks a significant milestone in the fight against online child sexual exploitation.  Spearheaded by Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) and supported by child protection experts including Tim Tebow Foundation, this new legislation makes an historic investment into Victim Identification, a critical step in the fight against child sexual exploitation and human trafficking.   President Trump signed a legislative…

As the State of New Jersey prepares to host one of the world’s largest sporting events, partnerships like the one between Our Rescue and the New Jersey Children’s Alliance offer a best practice in proactive prevention and preparedness.   New Jersey is about to welcome one of the world’s most preeminent events: the 2026…

Human trafficking and child exploitation are serious human rights challenges facing communities across the United States. Prevention begins with awareness, and meaningful change happens when communities come together to equip young people with the knowledge and tools they need to stay safe.  In February 2026, Our Rescue had the opportunity to partner with the …

Every day, children and young people spend more of their lives online, learning, connecting, and exploring the world around them. At the same time, they are exposed to increased risk from predators and trafficking networks lurking in that same “digital ocean” – searching for their next victim. In Thailand specifically, children are not as likely to report their experiences of online exploitation. …

Every day, predators use small digital devices like SD cards, cell phones, USB drives, hard drives, and micro-storage devices to hide evidence of child sexual abuse from law enforcement. These devices are easily concealed almost anywhere – inside walls, clothing, furniture, behind electrical outlets, in vehicles, or buried beneath clutter, making them incredibly difficult for investigators to find during searches. …

Exactly one year ago, Our Rescue’s Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 program hit a milestone: a record 11 dogs graduated, embarking on a life with a very important mission – to help protect vulnerable children and bring criminals to justice.  Since June 2025, these K9s have joined over 130 other K9s in helping law enforcement arrest well over 1,300…

By Amy Bruins, Vice President of Community Impact at Our Rescue Grooming rarely announces itself. It often begins quietly—with attention, encouragement, shared interests, or support—long before boundaries are crossed or risks are recognized.   Because grooming is a deliberate, relationship-based process rather than a single event, it can unfold anywhere children and young people communicate or…

*Alias used to protect survivor identity.   In Southeast Asia, a young girl named *May was just 17 years old, living in economically vulnerable conditions with her mother and older sister. Her mother worked as a housekeeper earning just enough to meet their most basic needs. May carried a quiet hope for a different future. Like many people her age,…

Behind closed doors and behind screens, unthinkable acts of child exploitation are committed by predators in ways that can easily be hidden and difficult to trace. Through child sexual abuse material (CSAM), a single upload, a simple message, or a hidden file can put a child in the crosshairs of a predator who is committing unimaginable crimes.  Fortunately, in the state of Vermont, law enforcement has an Electronic Storage Detection…

*Alias used to protect survivor identity.  In 2023, Our Rescue supported an operation in Spain to help law enforcement take down a criminal group that was suspected of forcing 24 women from four different countries into forced commercial sexual exploitation. Six days a week, the women worked morning and night and were moved across multiple locations on Mallorca, an island in the Mediterranean Sea.

In March of 2026, investigators with CiberPOL, part of the Ecuadorian National Police, followed a CyberTip submitted to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and traced it to a location south of the city. Someone was distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), meaning children were in need of help. Working quickly, with support from Our Rescue, investigators built a careful case in…

By Jackie Block Goldstein, LSW, Vice President for Survivor Care at Our Rescue, and John Trenary Vice President of Cyber at Our Rescue  Disclaimer: This content is provided for educational purposes only.  If you believe a child is in immediate danger, contact 9-1-1 or your local authorities.  Raising kids in today’s digital environment is no easy feat.  In addition…

In Latin America, law enforcement continues to confront the growing spread of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). These horrific cases often begin with a tip online and lead police to discover real sexual abuse involving children. A recent series of four “Operation Guardian” cases, supported by Our Rescue in Ecuador and Chile, highlight how coordinated investigations, digital intelligence, and in-country support are essential in helping…

In just two days, Ecuadorian National Police (ENP), their Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (UNAT), the Attorney General’s Office (FGE), and members of Our Rescue’s team in Latin America came together to rescue two teenaged girls, ages 14 and 17, from a life of sexual exploitation. Embroiled in extremely dangerous gang activity, caught between a notorious Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO) and local rival gangs,…

Every day, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) receives thousands of CyberTipline reports that require urgent review because they may involve children in immediate danger. In 2024 alone, staff identified and escalated more than 51,000 reports as urgent or involving imminent risk and…

By the end of this article, you will understand what online child sexual exploitation is, how it happens, how to recognize the warning signs, what to do if you suspect it, and – most of all – how to prevent it in the first place.   For many kids, summer marks the start of freedom: less structure, more time with friends, and greater independence…

By Amy Bruins, Vice President of Community Impact, Our Rescue  Mature Content Warning: This article discusses mature themes portrayed in Euphoria, including addiction, sexual exploitation, coercion, assault, commercial sexual exploitation, forced criminality, and human trafficking.  Euphoria (HBO) has never been a show that shies away from difficult subjects. The series explores complex and often uncomfortable themes including addiction, coercion,…

Thanks to a collaborative partnership with Our Rescue and kNot Today, the Vigo County Sheriff’s Office welcomed its first Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 and the community of Terre Haute, Indiana will never be the same.  Do a quick Google search online for “ESD K9 Paddy Indiana” and you’ll see why Vigo County’s newest member of the Sheriff’s Department has been in…

By Jackie Block Goldstein, LSW, Vice President for Survivor Care at Our Rescue, and John Trenary Vice President of Cyber at Our Rescue  In early 2026, separate juries in California and New Mexico found two popular social media companies liable for contributing to the mental health crisis among children. The landmark verdicts confirmed what many families…

For over a year, Our Rescue has partnered with OSINT Industries to help law enforcement address human trafficking and child exploitation. This collaboration has now expanded through a formal agreement and ongoing joint efforts to equip investigators with advanced open-source intelligence (OSINT) tools and training that help rescue children and put predators behind bars.  Together, teams have supported law enforcement agencies across Europe, including Romania, Italy, Kosovo, Spain, and Malta. These efforts focus…

Every day, children are sexually exploited by predators behind closed doors and evidence of that abuse is deliberately hidden. To fight these crimes, our four-legged heroes work alongside police to help rescue those children and bring them justice.  In 2022, Our Rescue-sponsored Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 Boone graduated from the Jordan Detection K9…

In Ecuador, two 7-year-old girls were allegedly being sexually exploited by their father.   In February of 2026, investigators from the Ecuadorian National Police (ENP) Anti-Trafficking Unit (UNAT) discovered child sexual abuse material (CSAM) featuring the two children in sexually explicit photographs that were being distributed to a social media group.   Working alongside the Attorney General’s Office (FGE) and with the support of Our Rescue, ENP UNAT initiated a search and arrest warrant at…

By Jim Cole, Senior Advisor for Cyber Strategy and Child Protection, Our Rescue  Published in recognition of National Police Week, May 2026  People ask me, “How do you do it?”  Not my law enforcement colleagues. They already know the answer, or they have their own version of it. The question…

In Ecuador, a 12-year-old child was living under a lie facing sexual exploitation.  An adult had convinced the child that he was family and someone they could trust, someone who had authority in their life. He then used that false identity to gain control and sexually exploit, creating a reality that no child should ever have to navigate.  But investigators with…

June Haskell brings over ten years of experience speaking as a survivor of sex trafficking, domestic violence, childhood trauma and drug endangerment. From policies and programs to events and media, June works as Director of Survivor Engagement at Our Rescue and is a valued and respected resource. April is…

She was only 17 years old, and she was being sold online for sex.  In September, the Peruvian National Police received a tip that someone was allegedly advertising the sexual services of minors, girls between the ages of 14 and 17, through a website and across social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp,…

For many people, donating to a charity is about more than a tax deduction. It is about supporting the mission of an organization close to their heart and values. At Our Rescue, our donors help protect children and support survivors as they rebuild and move forward in the fight against human trafficking and exploitation. They…

In October 2025, in Pendleton, Indiana, a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) led investigators to a 24-year-old man whose online activity raised immediate concern. What began as a small number of flagged files quickly expanded into a digital investigation and subsequent search warrant, where detectives uncovered…

Within 48 hours, Our Rescue’s collaboration with the Ecuadorian National Police (ENP) Anti-Trafficking Unit (UNAT) and the Attorney General’s Office (FGE) in Ecuador resulted in the arrest of 4 individuals suspected of sexually exploiting children. Today, 4 children are now safe from sexual abuse.   In August of 2025, teams came together in Guayaquil to respond to the exploitation of a 14-year-old girl. Investigators…

On March 19, 2026, Romanian authorities carried out a significant operation to rescue a 13-year-old girl living in the deeply unsafe and sexually exploitative environment of trafficking.   The young girl faced vulnerabilities to exploitation on multiple levels. Police reported that she came from a difficult family situation, suffered from multiple disabilities, and limited resources. Additionally, she was in emergency placement due to her family’s instability.   In February…

Inside DHS’s Cyber Crimes Center (C3) in Fairfax, Virginia, I witnessed firsthand what global collaboration against child exploitation truly looks like when law enforcement officers from around the world gathered for Operation Renewed Hope. This past March, nearly 100 officers from 35 countries worked side by side, creating a temporary…

At Our Rescue, we believe that prevention is the key to protecting children from becoming victims of online threats. That’s why our teams are committed to guiding ongoing efforts to raise awareness and strengthen safeguards in an increasingly digital world.  This year marks the fourth consecutive year of advancing this effort through the “Online…

 On January 13, 2026, Our Rescue team in Latin America partnered with the Ecuadorian National Police Anti-Trafficking Unit and the Attorney General’s Office in Operation Esperanza 04 in Quito.   What began as a missing person report led to the safe recovery of a 17-year-old survivor and her infant baby, both of whom had been caught…

In Boone County, Kentucky, investigators followed a digital trail that led them to a home in Florence, where online activity linked to a man suspected of sharing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), previously referred to as child pornography.   After building a careful case, detectives arrived at the suspect’s residence in December and began a thorough search, working carefully through the…

In the Huaycán district of Lima, Peru, one child, the niece of an adult male predator, was being sexually abused and exploited behind closed doors.  In the city of Huancayo, based in the Junin region, miles away, another two minor-age children, family cousins to that same perpetrator, lived separate lives but faced the same abuse at the hands of the same man.  Peruvian investigators would soon connect both.  In late 2025, multiple CyberTipline reports submitted by Google through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children…

Every year, Mardi Gras brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to New Orleans, filling the city with parades, music, and celebration. Large in-market events like this, often raise questions about whether human trafficking increases as well. The reality is more complex. Human trafficking does not occur only during major events.

Stories like this appear far too often. A trusted adult sexually abuses a child. The abuse is recorded. The child sexual abuse material (CSAM), commonly known as child pornography, is stored or shared online. The child waits helplessly for intervention. Sometimes it comes. Sometimes it doesn’t. The pattern repeats across…

On February 5, 2026, Romanian authorities carried out an operation in Constanța that brought a trafficking network to light and put an immediate end to the exploitation of two young women whose lives had been pulled into it.  Investigators report a 15-year-old minor and a 19-year-old vulnerable young woman were manipulated…

Our Rescue recently celebrated another milestone in the fight against child exploitation and human trafficking as nine new Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 teams graduated from the Jordan Detection K9 Program and joined law enforcement agencies across the United States and Canada.  With this newest class, the number of…

When we think about human trafficking, we often picture traffickers, the recruiters and manipulators; or we focus on rescue and the moment someone reaches safety. Both of these pieces matter deeply.   But there is another part of the story that is harder to talk about, a part that quietly sustains the entire system.  The buyers.  The…

In order to successfully combat human trafficking today, we must understand that everything we thought we knew about who the traffickers are is incomplete. In the past, we were warned about “strange white vans” or being abducted while traveling in foreign countries while on vacation. The modern-day trafficker has become more concealed, while still hiding in plain sight. The reality…

By Renata Parras, General Counsel, Our Rescue  In addition to leading Our Rescue’s Legal team, Renata builds strategic partnerships with NGOs, technology companies, law enforcement, and industrial sectors. She brings more than 15 years of experience advising on human rights, human trafficking, social impact, cross border risk, and cross-sector collaboration. Previously, she served as ESG and Pro…

On January 14, 2026, investigators in Thailand identified evidence suggesting a 6-year-old child was being sexually exploited and was linked to confirmed child sexual abuse material (CSAM). That evidence triggered an investigation to determine what had happened and how to rescue the child from further harm.  Working alongside Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) Thailand ICAC, law enforcement and Our Rescue teams reviewed digital…

Predators looking to exploit children often place themselves in positions of trust. Caregivers, service providers, and professionals may have access to children precisely because they are perceived as safe. This reality makes these crimes harder to detect, meaning it is even more important that police have the specialized tools and investigative support they need to find the offenders who intentionally conceal child…

This year, Our Rescue-sponsored Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 Bandit continued to make an extraordinary impact alongside his handler and law enforcement in Nevada and the Tahoe region. Bandit’s work has supported multiple investigations involving sexual crimes against children and major criminal activity, helping officers locate digital evidence that might otherwise remain hidden.  Across northern…

Across northern Nevada, several recent investigations led to significant arrests tied to crimes against children and drug trafficking. Behind the scenes in multiple operations was a four-legged investigator named Bandit.  In Reno, a woman was arrested on charges related to the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) after authorities executed a search warrant…

On January 15, 2026, a powerful door opened in Peru that had never existed before.  At the facilities of the Policía Nacional del Perú (PNP) in the Piura Region, Our Rescue and law enforcement officials gathered to inaugurate a Survivor Recovery and Care Facility, built to serve survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. …

In Thailand, a four-year-old girl was subjected to sexual exploitation and abuse by someone meant to protect her—her father. Cases like this often remain hidden, especially when abuse occurs inside the home, and fear or intimidation keeps the child from speaking out.  In response to a tip, local authorities launched Operation Nest, an operation led by Thailand Internet Crimes…

For the past several years in Kenosha, when search warrants were executed in cases involving digital exploitation, two partners entered the scene together: Detective Pete Deates and Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 Iris.  One carried decades of investigative experience. The other carried a nose trained to find what offenders try to hide.  Together, they represent the final chapter of a 23-year career defined by…

Since at least November 2023, a transnational criminal organization was exploiting vulnerable women from Latin America, Europe, and Africa. The group lured the women through deception and debt bondage, controlling them through housing, and profiting from their sexual exploitation by managing five brothels and advertising services online. In addition to…

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant concept or a futuristic tool reserved for tech labs and movies. It’s here, embedded in everyday life, accelerating innovation across industries, and reshaping how people learn, work, and connect. And, like many transformative technologies before it, AI is neither inherently good nor…

Each year, the American Humane Society honors extraordinary dogs across the United States through the Hero Dog Awards, a nationwide competition and fundraising event. This year, the awards banquet was held at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, attended by approximately 350 people, including supporters, families, previous winners, and donors.   Among the honorees was Our Rescue-sponsored…

While most of the world is focused on the game, law enforcement and organizations are focused on fighting human trafficking at the Super Bowl.

Awareness campaigns and police operations run in Super Bowl host cities have garnered lots of media attention. But does the Super Bowl truly lead to an increase in instances of human trafficking?

In a recent Guardian interview, actress Mara Wilson, beloved for her work as a child actress in movies such as “Matilda,” and “Mrs. Doubtfire,” shared a modern horror story. She discovered that her likeness when she was a child had been used to create AI-generated child sexual abuse material (AIG-CSAM). Her story…

In the early hours of a recent ride-along with the Riverside County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), also known as the Riverside County Child Exploitation Team (RCCET), detectives executed two search warrants in two different cities. Both investigations involved the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material…

In Athens, organized crime networks were allegedly promoting foreign women into prostitution, by profession and for profit, by exploiting their income inside establishments operating as “strip shows.” Intelligence gathered by authorities indicated that the individuals were being controlled and profited from under conditions consistent with human trafficking. This prompted a coordinated law enforcement response.  In the early morning hours of Friday, December 19,…