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U.S./Canada
During one impactful week in April 2026, the Our Rescue Training and Prevention team brought critical education and awareness programs to two different, rural communities hundreds of miles apart. While one training took place in a small Nebraska town along a major interstate corridor, another focused on preventing child exploitation and bolstering digital safety within Indigenous communities in…
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, 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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
When the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force launched Operation Frost Byte in December 2025, Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 Estie played a critical role in supporting investigators as they executed search warrants connected to multiple child exploitation cases. Estie is an Our Rescue-Sponsored ESD K9, specially trained…
When investigators with the Oklahoma ICAC Task Force enter a search scene, time matters. Evidence can be hidden inside walls, tucked into furniture, concealed in vehicles, or deliberately disguised to avoid detection. In these moments, human search alone isn’t always enough. That’s where K9 Arwen comes in. Arwen is an Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 sponsored…
January is recognized as Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a time to strengthen awareness, expand education, and encourage collective action to address human trafficking before it occurs. This month, Our Rescue is joining the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign as an official partner, aligning efforts to support prevention-focused,…
On Giving Tuesday, our community of donors stepped up to help make something critical possible: coordinated Interstate Justice Coalition (IJC) operations designed to strengthen cross-jurisdictional collaboration and improve survivor-centered response. IJC is a unique partnership comprised of Our Rescue, Skull Games Solutions, We Fight Monsters, and Operation Light Shine that unifies each organization’s specialized capabilities to support law enforcement, survivor care agencies, and communities within the United States in the…
In the summer of 2025, multiple complex investigations involving child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and hidden surveillance devices unfolded across Wisconsin. Each case involved diligent investigative work and interagency cooperation, including crucial support from Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 Maui working alongside local and federal partners. Madison Rental Home Hidden Camera Investigation In late July 2025, police in Madison, Wisconsin…
**The data showcased here represents partial-year figures and should be considered preliminary. Final totals will be confirmed and released in the 2025 Annual Report. As we begin reflecting on 2025, one message stands out across every region and every program: lasting change happens when organizations and partners link arms and move together. This year, Our…
This November, Our Rescue joined leaders from across the private passenger transportation sector at Mobilize, The Transportation Alliance’s annual conference in Las Vegas. What many don’t realize is how deeply intertwined trafficking can be with transportation. In the United States, a 2023 report from the Human Trafficking Institute found that private vehicles accounted…
In North Dakota, a case that began several years ago finally reached its conclusion this week. A former school principal, someone who families once trusted to guide and protect their children, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison for the abuse of a child. The details that emerged during the investigation…
In two separate cases in South Georgia, law enforcement agencies utilized digital forensic equipment donated by Our Rescue to investigate and arrest men accused of sexual crimes against minors. The first case involved a former teacher and coach in the Lowndes County School System. Earlier this year, the…
Last Friday, November 14, Our Rescue celebrated a landmark moment: sponsoring our largest-ever graduation class of Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9s with 14 new partnerships. Since our first ESD K9 was deployed back in 2017, we have seen the immense impact these incredible dogs have in the fight against child sexual exploitation. In fact, in 2025, our ESD K9s have achieved an…
“For me, everything is timing,” said Agent Laurel Sexton of the Central Arkansas Drug Task Force. For investigators working sex trafficking and child exploitation cases, every second is critical, especially when children are waiting to be found and offenders are walking free. The reality is that many cases hinge on…
Hear directly from the men and women dedicating their lives to protecting the vulnerable At Our Rescue, we proudly empower and support the heroic work of law enforcement both domestically and internationally. Across the U.S., digital forensic units and police agencies play a critical role in the fight against child…
Eight years ago, Suzie’s life changed forever. What began as a relationship with someone she thought cared for her, soon turned into manipulation and control. “I was young and naïve,” Suzie said. “This guy really liked me and wanted to know everything about me. Little did I know, he was…
Our Rescue-sponsored Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 Enzo graduated from the Jordan Detection K9 Program in June 2025 and immediately went to work with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois. Within weeks, K9 Enzo and his handler Detective Alexis Sciarrone assisted in major child exploitation investigations, helping uncover hidden devices…
A friendly, lap-loving Lab might not look like a cutting-edge crime-fighter—but don’t be fooled. Behind the wagging tail and soft eyes is a powerful partner in the fight against child exploitation and trafficking. Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9s are expertly trained police dogs that use their incredible sense of smell…
A powerful U.S. partnership in Memphis is turning ashes into hope as a new safe home is built where survivors and their children can begin again. Earlier this year, Our Rescue joined We Fight Monsters in a partnership to help raise a new shelter home for survivors of trafficking and…
Authorities in York County, Pennsylvania, say 22-year-old Luke Teipel collected dozens of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) files— some real, and others generated using artificial intelligence (AI). Luke is now facing 33 felony counts of possession of CSAM. This is the first case of its kind in…
K9 Trace, an Our Rescue-sponsored Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) dog, has already supported law enforcement in over 30 searches since joining the Thunder Bay Police Service in January 2024. In his short two years of service, Trace has helped officers uncover devices in critical cases, including three recent child exploitation…
Earlier this year, four officers from the East Metro Human Trafficking Task Force enrolled in Our Rescue’s Human Trafficking Task Force program. Through this training, they received specialized instruction and equipment designed to help them identify, investigate, and respond to trafficking. Just months later, those same officers reported their first…
Predators and traffickers don’t stop at state lines, and we don’t either. In August 2025, the first surge operation of the Interstate Justice Coalition put that reality into sharp focus. For two days, teams worked across Mississippi, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, bringing together three independent nonprofits working…
Children being exploited online is an ever-growing threat in communities across the country. Every day, predators use technology to share, download, and distribute child sexual abuse material (CSAM), leaving children traumatized and putting more in danger. These crimes aren’t just staying hidden on the internet, they are spreading into neighborhoods,…
In early 2025, detectives received a tip through the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) data system about possible child sexual abuse material (CSAM) being uploaded from a Kik messenger account in Zanesville, Ohio. After further investigation, the report, submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, led investigators…
This summer marks the retirement of Our Rescue-sponsored Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 Mousse, Iowa’s first Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9. For five years, Mousse has worked alongside his handler, Special Agent Michael McVey with the Iowa Department of Public Safety, supporting investigations into child exploitation and human trafficking across…
Our Rescue-funded tech helps arrest three men for alleged child sexual abuse and exploitation in separate cases In Anderson, California, three separate men were arrested within months of each other, each accused of crimes involving the sexual abuse and the exploitation of children. The details differ, but the pattern of…
A five-year-old girl in Hartford, Vermont was betrayed by someone her family thought they could trust. The 33-year-old man, who lived in the same apartment building, offered to help watch her. But during this time, he sexually abused the child and used her to create child sexual abuse material (CSAM). …
Minneapolis, MN — June 23, 2025 — Our Rescue formally announces the launch of the first-ever program called “ICAC Connect,” designed to support North American Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces by providing advanced investigative tools, data analytics, ICAC Officer Training Scholarships, and community-driven funding to combat online child exploitation, particularly CSAM (child sexual abuse…
Just last week, Our Rescue celebrated a powerful milestone: the largest class of Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9s we’ve ever sponsored graduated the Jordan Detection K9 program. Now, 11 new ESD K9 teams are ready to support law enforcement agencies across North America in the search for hidden electronic devices…
Across the United States, human trafficking doesn’t always happen in the shadows. Often, it’s woven into the fabric of everyday life. In neighborhoods, in businesses that seem ordinary, in places people pass by every day without a second thought. Illicit massage businesses (IMBs) are one of the most common covers…
In a quiet town in Central Thailand, a young boy was suffering in silence. He was just 15 years old — a student, a son, a child whose life should have been filled with friends, school, and the promise of the future. Instead, someone he trusted used their position of…
Memphis, TN (May 22, 2025) – In a united effort to support survivors of sex trafficking in the U.S., Our Rescue and We Fight Monsters have signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to renovate and complete construction of a new “Hope House” – a Recovery House for Survivors.
At Our Rescue, we know that the right tools can make all the difference in stopping child predators. That’s why we provide essential technology and training to law enforcement agencies around the world—including here in the U.S. In Carteret County, North Carolina, equipment donated by Our Rescue recently played a…
ESD K9 Heroes Help Bring Justice in Iowa Child Exploitation Case For over 20 years, a man named Carl Markley used fraud and coercion to get dozens of teens, mostly boys, to engage in sex acts. As a nurse practitioner and business owner in Ames, Iowa, Markley used his position…
During National Police Week 2025, law enforcement officers across the United States will gather in Washington, D.C. to honor fallen heroes on the frontlines. The memorial march and planned events from May 11-17 will unite police survivors and active-duty officers in a major event that transcends remembrance. This year's gathering holds special significance as Our Rescue celebrates unprecedented achievements in supporting law enforcement agencies nationwide.
For a 26-year-old man from Middletown, New York, TikTok wasn’t an entertainment site. It was a hunting ground and a place to meet girls under the age of 18. Even though he knew the explicit texts and FaceTime calls he instigated with a 15-year-old were illegal, that didn’t stop him…
**In this story, the survivor’s name has been changed to protect her identity. Tsehay thought the opportunity to go to Lebanon and become a domestic worker would be a good way to provide for herself and her family. Instead, Tsehay suffered traumatic abuse at the hands of her employers,…
A 34-year-old Wyoming man faces 548 years in prison if he’s convicted of all the charges for the manufacturing, possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) following his arrest. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children,…
We are excited to announce the graduation of eight new Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9s from the Jordan Detection K9 training program! These incredible dogs completed their training on Friday, March 14, and are being placed in police departments across the country and Canada to help fight child exploitation. Our…
Jesse Blaine, 42, of Harlan, Iowa, has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison after Our Rescue-sponsored Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 Cruzer and his handler helped search his home, finding hidden electronic devices containing child sexual abuse material. The investigation began with a CyberTip from the National Center…
We are excited to announce that five new K9s have completed their specialized Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) training this month. These incredible dogs graduated from the program on November 15, bringing the total number of Our Rescue sponsored ESD K9s worldwide to 110. This milestone was made possible through the…
From left to right: Ophelia Holiday (Sexual Assault Prevention Specialist for UNHS), June Haskell (OUR Rescue Director of Survivor Engagement), Allison Smith (OUR Rescue Senior Director of Education), and Thomasina Holly (Sexual Assault Response Coordinator for UNHS).
The grant will provide vital support to law enforcement in the fight against sex trafficking and child exploitation Salt Lake City, Utah – October 7, 2024 – OUR Rescue, a global nonprofit on a mission to end sex trafficking and child exploitation worldwide, today announced a transformative $75,000 grant provided…
Unbound Now is a global organization with a mission to end human trafficking through prevention, professional training, and survivor advocacy. With a presence across Texas, Louisiana, and several other cities worldwide, Unbound Now is committed to fostering collaboration between communities, law enforcement, and government agencies to create lasting change. The…
We need your help to provide school supplies and basic needs to survivors and individuals at risk of human trafficking! By contributing in-kind donations of these items, you can make a direct impact and provide much-needed support.
Charity, one of the 100 Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9s supported by OUR Rescue, has been working with the Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Special Victims Unit of the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General since March. In just a few months on the job, the two-year-old Labrador Retriever has…
Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 Tera is helping the Lake County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois apprehend predators. Earlier this year, she found key evidence in a case that began when a messaging app detected multiple child sexual abuse material (CSAM) files on its platform. Authorities identified 24-year-old Jared Honegger as the…
OUR Rescue CEO Tammy Lee, and members of the team were honored to participate in the 2024 Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation (CESE) Global Summit, hosted by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) in Washington, D.C. This event gathers leading voices from around the world to address the pervasive…
Iris, an Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9, is hard at work in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The 6-year-old Labrador Retriever has helped law enforcement in three separate cases since late May, leading to multiple arrests. In a county neighboring Kenosha, an investigator discovered that Ryan St. John, 46, shared and distributed child…
Thanks to funding from OUR Rescue donors, five Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9s graduated from training on June 28.
Two women were allegedly sexually exploiting a 17-year-old in Thailand for nearly two months, according to authorities. Knowing the minor had a young daughter that she was responsible for, the women reportedly took advantage of her financial vulnerability. An investigation into potential criminal activity began after local law enforcement found…
On May 30, a North Dakota judge sentenced predator Nicholas Morgan-Derosier to 40 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to seven criminal charges tied to possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Jib, an Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 supported by OUR Rescue, helped the Grand Forks…
The following is a firsthand account from Detective Gill of the Seattle Police Department. I have been a Seattle Police Officer for 17 years. It was a natural choice for me; I’ve always had a strong desire to help people in need. Joining the ICAC unit in 2015 felt like…
An Illinois man is alleged to have secretly recorded his stepdaughter and other family members by using a camera that was disguised as a screw. Police say Timothy Mol, 45, placed the camera in a switch plate – the small piece of plastic that surrounds a light switch – on…
In Thailand, a woman allegedly began trafficking a 13-year-old on her first day of work at a karaoke bar. For six days, the minor was reportedly exploited to provide business clients with the specific sexual services they desired. OUR Rescue operators became suspicious of criminal activity at the bar and…
Flora was trafficked when she was 11 years old by a local gang in her hometown that was run by a judge. This was her life for two years before O.U.R. intervened.
We stand with survivors of human trafficking and exploitation in their healing journey. With your support, we can continue to provide survivors with invaluable tools they need to heal and thrive.
Susie supported herself financially by braiding hair. She went door to door selling her services to locals in her hometown in East Africa. She had been toiling away in her small hometown, feeling trapped by circumstances that she couldn’t control. That’s when a chance encounter with a European man changed…
Once Sgt. Kuoha realized how common these sorts of crimes and online enticement were, even in his small jurisdiction, he and his team were determined to teach the predators a lesson.
What started with one dog has grown into a nationwide task force of K9s, all helping law enforcement fight against human trafficking and child exploitation.
“Hailey,” age 9, was swimming in her local community pool down the street from her home in South America when her neighbor, an adult male, approached her.
The “Boy in the Green Shirt” was an investigation that started in Southeast Asia after the police in another country found photos of an unidentified young boy in a green shirt being sexually assaulted. The offender had unique, identifiable physical traits, so local police were able to quickly identify a citizen with matching traits to this alleged offender...
The O.U.R. Aftercare team was invited to Central America to visit an aftercare home, which was brought to their attention by a mutual friend and lawyer who is contracted there. She relayed to the team about the survivors who she had gotten to know and love and invited the group to come see for themselves.
When the identity of 7-year-old Sabrina was verified from an online child exploitation video, O.U.R. and law enforcement quickly made plans to arrest the traffickers and remove her from harm’s way.