U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Celebrate Successful App’s Second Year

In 2003, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement created Operation Predator to combat the sexual exploitation of children. In 12 years since the launch, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has arrested more than 10,000 people for crimes against children, said an ICE press release. This includes the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors and sex trafficking of children.

By 2013, ICE had an application created, the Operation Predator App, to keep up with technology changes and to stay ahead of individuals looking to pray on children online. This application was the first of its kind to be used by any U.S. law enforcement agency, ICE officials said.

“This app crowdsources the ability to identify and locate suspected fugitive child predators, protecting victims from further abuse,” said Kevin Downey, ICE’s Digital Marketing and Outreach Supervisor who designed and developed the app. “As more people download the app, the world becomes a smaller hiding place for those predators. Producing the app was a total team effort and it took the collective talents of the agency.”

This week, this particular law enforcement agency celebrated the Operation Predator App’s second year, and to highlight the app’s effectiveness, ICE used the sentencing of Jeremiah Malfroid, who was sentenced on July 24 to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to the production of child pornography in April, the release noted.

In a joint effort between HSI and Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children Task (ICAC), Malfroid was identified among 300 files of child pornography and arrested as a result of being profiled on the Predator App. This App enables users to receive alerts about wanted predators like Malfroid, and in the two years since its inception, it has provided a platform to share information with friends via email and social media tools, and to HSI by calling or submitting an online tip.

“Additionally, the app allows users to view news about arrests and prosecutions of child predators and additional resources about ICE and its global partners in the fight against child exploitation,” the press release stated.

Industry leaders have recognized the Predator App as an effective online tool, and in 2014, it received honorable mention for “Best App” in the PR News’ Social Media Icon Awards in New York City.

Downey said the original goal of the app was to take fugitive child predators off the streets, and with the effective collaboration between the government and the American people, the Predator App has been a success.

People who want to download the app can do so through Apple’s App Store or iTunes. An Android version of the app is planned for the near future.