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Category: Law

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Releases Officers Killed and Assaulted in the Line of Duty, 2024 Special Report and Law Enforcement Employee Counts

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

    On Monday, May 12, 2025, the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program released the “Officers Killed and Assaulted in the Line of Duty, 2024 Special Report” and data from the Law Enforcement Employee Counts on the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer (CDE) at cde.ucr.cjis.gov.

    “Officers Killed and Assaulted in the Line of Duty, 2024 Special Report”, provides preliminary counts of law enforcement officers killed and assaulted in 2024, as well as an in-depth analysis of law enforcement officers who were killed or assaulted from 2015 through 2024, based on the data voluntarily provided by law enforcement agencies to the FBI’s UCR Program.

    In 2024, 64 officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty. That is consistent with the number of officers feloniously killed the previous two years; however, the rate of assaults against officers increased from 2022 to 2024. Firearms were the most reported weapon used in fatal incidents.

    Information about offenders of officer felonious killings in 2024 show there were 61 offenders reported for the felonious deaths. Of these offenders, 95.9% were male, 57.9% were white, and 32 offenders were reported to have a prior criminal record.

    For each of the 10 years under consideration, the South region had the most line-of-duty deaths. There was a 45% increase in the deaths in that region in 2024 (29 deaths) compared to 2023 (20 deaths).

    Agencies reported 85,730 officer assaults in 2024 indicating a rate of 13.5 assaults per 100 officers, marking the highest officer assault rate in the past 10 years.

    The number of officers assaulted and injured by firearms has climbed over the years, reaching a 10-year high in 2023 with approximately 500 officers assaulted and injured by firearms. In 2024, the number of officers assaulted and injured by firearms dropped to approximately 457 officers.

    Most accidental deaths of law enforcement officers from 2020 to 2024 can be attributed to motor vehicle accidents.

    Also released today was the 2024 information from the Law Enforcement Employee Counts Data Collection. Law enforcement agencies provide these counts to the FBI annually and account for all full-time sworn law enforcement officers and civilian employees. This information may be used by city, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to establish manpower needs, and to provide effective enforcement and protection.

    The full report may be found in the Special Reports section on the FBI’s CDE.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: National Police Week: Minister Ellis

    “National Police Week is an opportunity to honour the heroes who keep our communities safe every day. Across Alberta, police officers work with courage and compassion to serve Albertans – often in complex, high-pressure situations that demand the very best of them. This week is a solemn reminder of their sacrifices and the vital role they play in maintaining public safety.

    “Each day, members of Alberta’s law enforcement community demonstrate exceptional courage, professionalism and service. Whether responding to emergencies, investigating crime, or supporting community wellness, they show up 24-7 – ready to protect and serve Albertans in every corner of this province.

    “This year’s theme, Committed to Serve Together, reflects a reality we see every day: effective public safety depends on collaboration. It’s not the work of one agency or level of government alone. It takes collaboration between police services, first responders, health and social organizations and the communities they serve. Regardless of uniforms or jurisdictions, the mission is the same – to protect and serve.

    “Alberta’s government stands shoulder-to-shoulder with our law enforcement partners. We’re investing in the tools, training and staffing needed to meet growing public safety demands – especially in our cities, where urban crime has risen, and in rural communities, where stretched resources continue to create gaps. That’s why Alberta’s government is investing in a more responsive and resilient policing model that prioritizes community connection, fairness and frontline support.

    “For example, Alberta’s government is providing $13.9 million over three years to help build or expand three police buildings serving seven different First Nations, empowering Indigenous communities to keep their people safe. The new and expanded buildings will allow police services for the Blood Tribe, Tsuut’ina Nation and five different First Nations surrounding Lesser Slave Lake to continue growing alongside their communities.

    “Through Budget 2025, Alberta’s government is also investing $55.7 million in Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams to address organized crime, exploitation of children, human trafficking, gun violence and drug trafficking. Furthermore, we are continuing to provide $19.5 million to fund 100 new officers in Calgary and Edmonton, making our biggest urban centres safer for residents and visitors alike.

    “We are proud of the work underway in Alberta to build stronger, safer communities. But that work is only possible because of the officers who rise to the challenge each and every day. They are our neighbours, our family members and our front-line protectors. This week, we recognize their service with gratitude and reaffirm our commitment to support their efforts to build safer, stronger communities everywhere.

    “To all law enforcement officers across Alberta: thank you for your continued commitment to serve together. Alberta is safer because of you.”  

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Luttrell Introduces the Justice for Victims of Illegal Alien Murders Act

    Source:

    WASHINGTON – Congressman Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) introduced the Justice for Victims of Illegal Alien Murders Act, legislation that will allow the federal government to prosecute illegal aliens who commit murder in the United States. If convicted of first-degree murder under this statute, offenders could face the death penalty or life in prison.

    Under current law, federal jurisdiction over murder cases is limited and often depends on where the crime takes place or whether it involves federal officials or facilities. The Justice for Victims of Illegal Alien Murders Act creates a new federal offense for non-citizens who are inadmissible or deportable and commit murder, giving federal prosecutors the clear authority to bring charges regardless of the location of the crime.

    “In America, we are a nation of laws, and that means justice has to be non-negotiable,” said Congressman Luttrell. “If you’re in this country illegally and you murder an innocent American, you will be held fully accountable no matter where the crime happens. This bill gives us the authority to deliver justice when local prosecutors simply don’t have the tools, manpower, or funding to take on a high-profile death penalty case. Too many American families have suffered unbearable loss at the hands of individuals who never should have been in this country in the first place.”

    “I am proud to support Congressman Luttrell’s Justice for Victims of Illegal Alien Murders Act to make sure illegal alien murderers are brought to justice,” said Congressman Pfluger. “This legislation would ensure that the federal government has the authority to prosecute ANY illegal alien who has committed murder inside the jurisdiction of the United States, despite what a local or state liberal activist judge might decide. No one is above the law. Violent criminals who commit the most heinous act of all, murder of an innocent victim, will be prosecuted, and their families will get the justice they deserve.”

    “If you’re in our country illegally and you kill a U.S. citizen, expect us to come after you with the full extent of the law. If I had it my way, Laken Riley’s killer and every illegal who has taken an American life would be hung from the Southern border wall,” said Rep. Mike Collins. “I’m proud to support Rep. Luttrell’s Justice for Victims of Illegal Alien Murders Act to provide more resources to hold these illegal criminals accountable for their crimes.”

    “When an American life is taken by someone who should not have been in this country to begin with, justice must be swift, certain, and uncompromising. The Justice for Victims of Illegal Alien Murders Act ensures that these horrific crimes are treated with the full weight of federal law—especially in states where soft-on-crime policies deny families true justice. No sanctuary policy or so-called ‘restorative justice’ program should shield convicted murderers from the consequences of their actions. This bill sends a clear message: if you murder an American citizen while unlawfully in this country, the federal government will pursue the harshest penalties available,” said Congressman Bergman.

    “When Biden opened our borders, he opened our country to a world of crime previously thought unimaginable on American soil. The families of Laken Riley, Edwin Jackson, Jeffrey Monroe, and more would not be mourning today if illegal aliens were restricted from entering our country. Unfortunately, this legislation is needed in America today because Biden and his handlers cared more about their reckless open border beliefs than the lives of Americans,” said Congressman Stutzman.

    “American families deserve to know that justice will be served—no matter where a crime takes place. If someone is in this country illegally and commits murder, the federal government should have the authority to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. This bill sends a clear message: if you take an innocent life on American soil, you will be held accountable,” said Congressman Ezell.

    “Thank you to Rep. Luttrell for leading the Justice for Victims of Illegal Alien Murders Act. This bill ensures that illegal aliens who commit the most heinous crime of all, murder, are fully prosecuted without placing a burden on local communities. Justice must be swift, certain, and uncompromising for those who take innocent lives,” said Congressman Babin.

    “Due to the failures of the Biden Administration, American citizens have lost their lives at the hands of illegal aliens,” said Congressman Nehls. “I am proud to cosponsor my Texas colleague, Congressman Luttrell’s bill to hold illegal alien murderers fully accountable with death penalty eligibility or to spend the rest of their lives in prison.”

    The bill intends to close a dangerous loophole and ensure that those who are unlawfully in the U.S. and commit heinous crimes do not slip through the cracks of the legal system due to jurisdictional challenges.

    Additionally, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order calling for the mandatory death penalty for illegal immigrants convicted of murdering American citizens or law enforcement officers. 

    This bill is cosponsored by Representatives August Pfluger (R-TX), Jack Bergman (R-MN), Troy Nehls (R-TX), Mike Collins (R-GA), Brian Babin (R-TX), Mike Ezell (R-MS), and Marlin Stutzman (R-IN).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Rep. Pfluger’s ACES Act Passed the House

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    The passage of Rep. Pfluger’s legislation was celebrated by several veteran organizations and advocacy groups, who released the following statements:

    Vince Alcazar, COL, USAF, ret., MACH Coalition Founder & Director, said, “The Military Aviator Coalition for Health (MACH) celebrates the passage of H.R. 530, the Aviator Cancer Examination Study (ACES) Act. With three major Department of Defense studies in the last four confirming and quantifying significantly elevated cancer rates among U.S. military flyers, the ACES Act goes the next step. This bill would ask the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to apply their extensive Veteran health study capacity to determine what in the operating environments of military aviation is likely causing cancer. This study is essential. Without the ACES Act, military medicine will have no practical way of mitigating risk, and Veteran flyers will have no basis to correlate their service to potential cancer. This day was five years in the making. We recognize and praise the leadership of Congressman August Pfluger in leading this bill through three Congresses to today. Congressman Pfluger is an amazing champion of this work.”

    Jose Ramos, Vice President of Government and Community Relations, Wounded Warrior Project, said, “Wounded Warrior Project is grateful to Rep. Pfluger and his fellow Members of Congress for passing the ACES Act in the House of Representatives by an overwhelming majority. This legislation represents a critical step toward safeguarding the long-term health and well-being of military aviators and support personnel. These groups are routinely exposed to unique occupational hazards, and collaborative research across the federal government will help inform cancer prevention and veteran health strategies.We urge the Senate to take up this legislation as soon as possible.”

    Rye Barcott, Co-Founder & CEO of With Honor Action, said, “With Honor Action congratulates Reps. August Pfluger and Jimmy Panetta in securing House passage of the ACES Act—comprehensive legislation that will advance research into potential links between aviator service and increased cancer rates,” said Rye Barcott, Co-Founder & CEO of With Honor Action. “As members of the For Country Caucus, Reps. Pfluger and Panetta built strong bipartisan support among their fellow veteran lawmakers that led to a full caucus endorsement. We look forward to seeing this critical legislation become law.”

    Theo Lawson, Assistant Director, Legislative Programs, Fleet Reserve Association, said, “The Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) wholeheartedly celebrates the passage of the ACES Act in the House and extends our sincere congratulations to Congressman August Pfluger, his staff, and the bill’s cosponsors for their incredible dedication in advancing this vital legislation. Understanding cancer is the first step to defeating it, and this bill brings us closer to uncovering the critical links between aircrew service and cancer risks. Their leadership ensures our sea service aviators and all aircrew members are better equipped to identify and combat this silent enemy. We look forward to continuing the fight alongside them until the ACES Act becomes law–honoring the sacrifices of our servicemembers and safeguarding future generations.”

    Mario Marquez, Executive Director of Government Affairs, The American Legion, said, “On behalf of the 1.5 million veterans nationwide, The American Legion proudly supports the ACES Act. Research is critical to our understanding of the impacts of toxic exposures, from Agent Orange to harmful chemicals on aircraft. We applaud Representative Pfluger for prioritizing this critical issue and thank the House of Representatives for passing the ACES Act with resounding support. The American Legion urges the Senate to vote on this bill and continue to invest in research surrounding the impacts of toxic exposures.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Group of six convicted of spying for Russia jailed for total of 50 years

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A group of six Bulgarians living in the UK have been jailed for a combined total of more than 50 years for being part of a spying operation across Europe on behalf of Russia.

    Following a three-month trial at the Old Bailey, two women and a man were found guilty of conspiring to obtain information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to Russia.

    Three other men pleaded guilty to Official Secrets Act charges before the trial started.

    Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “The strength of the investigation into the group’s surveillance operations left the ringleaders – Orlin Roussev and Bizer Dzhambazov – with no option but to plead guilty to the charges they faced.

    “As shown in footage from his initial interviews, Roussev firmly denied carrying out any espionage activity for Russia. However, before he was due to stand trial, he admitted that he had been part of the conspiracy to spy.

    “This was in large part due to the detailed analysis of more than 200,000 digital messages and hundreds of items seized from Roussev’s home address.

    “The investigation team worked incredibly hard to piece together a complex and wide-ranging conspiracy that I would describe as espionage on an industrial scale.

    “The significant jail sentences handed to the group reflect the serious threat they posed to the safety and interests of the UK, as well as targets across Europe.

    “This case is a clear example of the increasing amount of state threat casework we are dealing with in the UK. It also highlights a relatively new phenomenon whereby espionage is being ‘outsourced’ by certain states.

    “Regardless of the form the threat takes, this investigation shows that we will take action to identify and disrupt any such activity that puts UK national security and the safety of the public at risk.”

    The court heard that detectives from the Met’s Counter terrorism Command seized hundreds of items after a co-ordinated series of raids and arrests were carried out on 8 February 2023.

    In particular, a 33-room former hotel belonging to Roussev was found to contain items including sophisticated spying equipment such as listening devices, concealed cameras and a fake ID card printer.

    Through their investigation, detectives identified that Roussev, who was leading the group, was in direct contact with Jan Marsalek – an Austrian national who, in turn, was identified as working with the Russian intelligence services.

    The investigation team identified six core spying ‘plots’ the group were involved in. This included activity that targeted two investigative journalists who were seen as reporting stories contrary to the interests of the Russian state.

    A former senior Kazakh politician who lived in the UK was also targeted, and the group planned to stage protests at the Kazakhstan embassy in London. Both operations were part of an elaborate plan to help the Russia state gain favour with Kazakhstan.

    The group also carried out surveillance at a US military site in Germany, where they believed Ukrainian soldiers were being trained.

    Another man who was designated as a ‘foreign agent’ by Russia was also targeted by the group during surveillance operations in Montenegro.

    Sifting through thousands of messages, and then matching these up with physical travel, financial statements and surveillance reports and footage, meant detectives were able to build up a compelling picture of the group’s activity, as well as identify those involved and their roles within the group.

    The six members of the group, who were all sentenced at the Old Bailey on Monday, 12 May, were:

    – Orlin Roussev, 46 (06.02.1978) of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, sentenced to 10 years’ and eight months imprisonment.
    – Bizer Maksimov Dzhambazov, 43 (21.04.1981), of Harrow, north London, sentenced to 10 years and two months’ imprisonment.
    – Katrin Nikolayeva Ivanova, 33 (01.07.1991) of Harrow, north London, sentenced to nine years and eight months’ imprisonment.
    – Ivan Iliev Stoyanov, 33 (22.12.1991) of Greenford, west London, sentenced to five years and three weeks’ imprisonment
    – Vanya Nikolaveva Gaberova, 30 (10.08.1994) of Euston, north London, sentenced to six years, eight months and three weeks’ imprisonment.
    – Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev, 39 (31.07.85) of Acton, west London, sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment.

    Officers found that Roussev was directing the group’s activity, and was receiving tasks through his contact with Marsalak. Dzhambazov was effectively the second in command.

    The other four were involved in the execution of various espionage and surveillance activities across the UK and Europe in relation to the six plots identified by detectives.

    Ivanova, Gaberova and Ivanchev were all found guilty on 7 March of conspiracy to spy, contrary to Section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.

    Roussev and Dzhambazov pleaded guilty before the trial started to the same offence.

    Stoyanov pleaded guilty before the trial to spying, contrary to section 1(1)(c) of the Official Secrets Act 1911.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Caught with Eight Firearms and Over $100,000 Cash Sentenced for Federal Drug and Weapons Violations

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that SHANE BOLDEN (“BOLDEN”), age 36, was sentenced on April 30, 2025 by U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to eighty-seven (87) months in prison followed by three (3) years of supervised release, along with a $200 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D), and to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).

    According to court documents, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) executed a search warrant at BOLDEN’s residence on April 8, 2024.  NOPD recovered over a pound of marijuana that BOLDEN intended to sell, and eight firearms that belonged to BOLDEN: a Glock Model 33, .357 caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 15 armor-piercing rounds; a Glock Model 23, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 22 hollow point rounds; a Zastava Arms Model PAP M85 NP, 5.56 millimeter caliber semi-automatic pistol; a Stag Arms Model Stag-15, multi-caliber semi-automatic pistol; a Romarm/Cugir Model Mini Draco, 7.62 millimeter caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 30 rounds; a Glock Model 19x, nine-millimeter caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with 16 red-tip hollow point rounds; a Diamondback Arms Model DB380, .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol, loaded with eight rounds; and a stolen Glock Model 22, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol.  BOLDEN is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of prior felony convictions, including a conviction for possession with intent to distribute marijuana.  NOPD also recovered over $108,000 in cash belonging to BOLDEN.  Pursuant to a plea agreement, BOLDEN agreed to forfeit all the firearms and cash to the United States government.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-Led Nationwide Crackdown, Including the Eastern District of Louisiana

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    Harvey, La. Man Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of Children, Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material, Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Material, and Extortion

    NEW ORLEANS – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

    “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

    “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

    “This joint operation signals our unrelenting effort to identify and prosecute those individuals responsible for the sexual exploitation of our nation’s youth,” stated Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson.  “Together with our law enforcement partners, our office stands ready and committed to utilizing our collective resources to bring justice to both the victims and the perpetrators of these crimes.”

    “The FBI is unwavering in its fight to protect children,” said Jonathan Tapp, Special Agent in Charge of FBI New Orleans. “Each arrest is a powerful testament to the tireless efforts of the FBI and our dedicated law enforcement partners to protect the most vulnerable among us. It reaffirms the FBI’s commitment to pursuing justice for victims and hold predators accountable.”

    In the Eastern District of Louisiana, Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that Lance Rotolo, Jr. (“Rotolo”), age 19, a resident of Harvey, Louisiana, was indicted on May 2, 2025 on five counts including, sexual exploitation of children, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a) (Counts 1 and 2), distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2) (Count 3), receiving CSAM, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2) (Count 4), and transmitting extortionate interstate communications, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(d) (Count 5).

    According to the indictment, on or about December 19, 2024, Rotolo produced, and attempted to produce, a visual depiction of a female born in June 2011 (Victim 1) engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  Additionally, between on or about January 12, 2025, and on or about February 17, 2025, Rotolo produced and attempted to produce a visual depiction of a female born in July 2009 (Victim 2) engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  Rotolo also distributed visual depictions of minors, including children as young as approximately less than one (1) year old, engaging in sexually explicit conduct, such as a video Rotolo distributed on or about February 28, 2025.  Rotolo also received visual depictions of minors as young as less than one (1) year old engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including a video he received on or about November 16, 2024.  Finally, Rotolo sent Victim 2 messages threatening that he would send sexually explicit content Victim 2 had previously sent him, to Victim 2’s friends and family, unless Victim 2 continued to send Rotolo sexually explicit visual depictions.

    Rotolo faces a mandatory minimum of fifteen (15) years in prison and a maximum term of imprisonment of thirty (30) years as to each of Counts 1 and 2.  He faces a mandatory minimum of five (5) years in prison and a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years as to each of Counts 3 and 4.  He faces up to two (2) years in prison as to Count 5.  Rotolo further faces at least five years, and up to a lifetime, of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee, for each count. He may also be required to register as a sex offender.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter.  Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

    The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Electronic Press Kit

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

    An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

                                                                           *   *   *

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: BitMart and Paxos Form Strategic Partnership to Drive USDG Adoption

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Mahe, Seychelles, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  BitMart, the premium global digital asset trading platform, today announces its strategic partnership with Paxos and the Global Dollar Network to integrate Global Dollar (USDG) into its platform, expanding the reach of USDG to BitMart’s 10 million userbase. This collaboration marks a pivotal step in BitMart’s ongoing efforts to expand access to trusted, stable, and enterprise-grade digital assets, reinforcing the commitment to stablecoin adoption across global markets.

    A global partnership driven by Anchorage Digital, Bullish, Galaxy Digital, Kraken, Nuvei, Paxos, and Robinhood, the Global Dollar Network (GDN) is forged with the common goal of increasing stablecoin adoption and expanding real world use cases. The GDN, powered by USDG, is a distributed network consisting of market leaders working together to build a stablecoin-enabled, accessible financial system. USDG is a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin issued by Paxos Digital Singapore Pte. Ltd., under the supervision of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and is compliant with MAS’s upcoming stablecoin framework.

    As part of this new partnership, BitMart enables users to purchase USDG directly on its platform, with USDG trading pairs already available. This partnership provides BitMart users with enhanced trading flexibility and access to USDG as a trusted stablecoin for various transactions, further contributing to the growing utility of stablecoins in the digital asset space.

    “We are thrilled to join forces with Paxos and the Global Dollar Network to bring a trusted, U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin to our users,” said Tiffany, VP of Operations at BitMart. “This partnership enables us to enhance BitMart’s offerings, making stablecoins like USDG a core component of our trading platform, and accelerating the adoption of stablecoin-powered solutions worldwide.”

    Ronak, Head of Product at Paxos, shared his perspective on the collaboration:

    “Partnering with BitMart is a significant step towards furthering the global adoption of USDG and advancing the use of stablecoins in the market. By integrating USDG into their platform, BitMart is providing users with a seamless and trusted way to interact with U.S. dollar-backed stablecoins, creating more opportunities for real-world usage and expanding the utility of stablecoins.”

    In addition to the USDG integration, BitMart is also preparing a broader marketing and operational campaign to support this launch. This includes a zero trading fee promotion for USDG trading pair and a staking/savings program for users looking to leverage USDG for rewards. These campaigns are aimed at driving further engagement and providing value to users within the stablecoin ecosystem.

    For more details on USDG and its terms of use, please visit: https://www.paxos.com/terms-and-conditions/stablecoin-terms-conditions 

    About BitMart
    BitMart is the premier global digital asset trading platform. With millions of users worldwide and ranked among the top crypto exchanges on CoinGecko, it currently offers 1,700+ trading pairs with competitive trading fees. Constantly evolving and growing, BitMart is interested in crypto’s potential to drive innovation and promote financial inclusion. To learn more about BitMart, visit their Website, follow their X (Twitter), or join their Telegram for updates, news, and promotions. Download BitMart App to trade anytime, anywhere.

    About Paxos
    Paxos is the leading regulated blockchain infrastructure and tokenization platform. Its products serve as the foundation for a new, open financial system that operates faster and more efficiently. Paxos partners with leading global enterprises to tokenize, custody, and trade assets. Its blockchain solutions are used by global leaders like PayPal, Interactive Brokers, Mastercard, Mercado Libre, and Nubank. Paxos is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYDFS and is the issuer of several digital assets, including PayPal USD (PYUSD), Pax Dollar (USDP), and Pax Gold (PAXG). Paxos International, an affiliate company, is the regulated issuer of the stablecoin Lift Dollar (USDL), and Paxos Singapore is the issuer of Global Dollar (USDG), powering the Global Dollar Network (GDN). Learn more at Paxos.

    About Global Dollar (USDG)
    Global Dollar (USDG) is a trusted U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin issued by Paxos Digital Singapore Pte. Ltd., which is subject to prudential oversight by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. USDG powers the Global Dollar Network, an enterprise-grade network of market leaders accelerating stablecoin adoption. For more information, visit Global Dollar.

    Disclaimer:
    Due to regulations and internal policies, the access to BitMart services is currently not available for users from the following countries and areas: Balkans, Cuba, Crimea, Iran, Liberia, North Korea, Syria, the State of New York, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) or Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR), and Netherlands.

    Use of BitMart services is entirely at your own risk. All crypto investments, including earnings, are highly speculative in nature and involve substantial risk of loss. Past, hypothetical, or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.

    The value of digital currencies can go up or down and there can be a substantial risk in buying, selling, holding, or trading digital currencies. You should carefully consider whether trading or holding digital currencies is suitable for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial circumstances, and risk tolerance. BitMart does not provide any investment, legal, or tax advice.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New local guidance to tackle synthetic opioid threat

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    New local guidance to tackle synthetic opioid threat

    Communities across England will be better equipped to combat the increasing threat of dangerous synthetic drugs, following new advice issued by the Home Office.

    Image: Getty Images

    In an effort make streets safer, the government has set out new recommendations to local authorities, police and public health organisations to better prepare against synthetic opioids. This includes making sure police officers have the skills and confidence needed to carry and administer naloxone, a lifesaving drug to tackle illicit drug use.

    Synthetic opioids are extremely dangerous substances and their presence in the UK illegal drugs market has risen over the past 2 years, during which time there have been over 450 drug-related deaths where synthetic opioids were present. Although they are most commonly found in heroin, they are also becoming increasingly present in illicit painkillers and sedative pills.

    As part of the government’s Plan for Change, 12 new recommendations have been issued to local authorities, to ensure staff are able to help save lives and support those at risk of overdose. 

    This advice for local areas includes: 

    • making ‘out of hours’ resources available to respond to incidents around the clock

    • sharing data between coroners, police and health services 

    • fast-tracked testing of seized drugs when synthetic opioids are suspected 

    • improving identification and monitoring of all at-risk groups, not just opioid users 

    • reviewing naloxone supplies in their area to make sure they are at sufficient capacity 

    These recommendations follow an exercise in November last year which saw local partners across health and policing, as well as national organisations, work together to respond to different scenarios relating to synthetic opioids. The exercise was organised by the government’s Joint Combating Drugs Unit and chaired by the National Police Chiefs’ Council. 

    Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said: 

    Synthetic drugs have no place on Britain’s streets, which is why we must do everything we can to tackle this evolving threat.

    This advice will help save lives by ensuring local authorities know how to respond to incidents more quickly and efficiently, as will the vital rollout of naloxone across our police forces.  

    Already there are hundreds of examples of police officers carrying this lifesaving medicine. I am deeply grateful for their unwavering commitment to protect some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, part of the government’s Plan for Change to keep streets safe.

    Alongside this report, the government is also publishing national data on police use of naloxone for the first time. Naloxone is a medicine used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.  

    According to new data released today, as of December 2024, there are approximately 20,650 police officers and 880 police staff carrying the medicine daily across the UK. 

    The data also shows that police officers across the UK have administered naloxone more than 1,200 times since June 2019. 32 UK police forces are currently using the naloxone provision or piloting it, and another 12 forces have committed to either pilot or roll out its use in the near future.  

    National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Drugs, Chief Constable Richard Lewis said:

    Synthetic drug use, like all illegal drug use, is incredibly dangerous for those who use them as well as carrying high risks of overdosing and we welcome the governments recommendations in how we collectively respond to this particular threat.

    We have long supported the use of the anti-overdose drug Naloxone, which has dramatically reduced the chance of drug-related deaths when dispensed by officers who have been equipped with it and encourage its use further.

    We remain steadfast in doing all we can to protect the people we serve alongside partners, including the most vulnerable in our society and this tool is just one option we can take to achieve this.

    The government supports more police officers carrying naloxone and see this is an important part of steps to reduce opioid deaths across the country.  

    Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association, said:

    We welcome the Home Office initiative supporting police officers in carrying naloxone, which represents a vital step forward in the fight against opioid overdoses. Communities across England are increasingly facing the threat of dangerous synthetic drugs, and this move ensures a faster, more effective response at the most critical moment.

    The immediate administration of naloxone can mean the difference between life and death, particularly as synthetic opioids – now more prevalent in the UK’s illegal drug market – have contributed to over 450 drug-related deaths in the past 2 years.

    Equipping frontline officers with this life-saving tool, alongside the government’s new recommendations to local authorities, police, and public health organisations, shows a commitment to public safety and harm reduction. We look forward to the upcoming findings that will guide a more robust, informed approach to protecting our communities.

    The law was also recently changed to widen access to take-home naloxone without a prescription. This is part of a series of initiatives designed to reduce the threat from synthetic opioids and reduce drug-related harms. 

    A generic definition of nitazenes, a type of synthetic opioid, was also introduced which will help prevent serious and organised criminal groups from adjusting drug recipes to bypass UK drug laws.

    You can read more about this topic on the following pages on GOV.UK:

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand, Warren, Wyden, Schumer Welcome Frank Bisignano To Social Security Administration With Nearly 200 Unanswered Questions, Push For Answers On Behalf Of Americans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
    Lawmakers Sent Bisignano 17 Letters Previously Sent To Acting Commissioner Dudek
    Bisignano And The Trump Administration Could Cut Benefits For 3.8 Million New Yorkers Who Rely On Social Security
    U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ranking Member of the Senate Aging Committee, joined Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) to welcome newly-confirmed Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) Frank Bisignano to the agency with copies of 17 letters — containing nearly 200 unanswered questions — that the lawmakers had previously sent to the SSA under Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek. The push is the latest in the Senate Democrats’ Social Security War Room efforts to fight back against President Trump and Elon Musk’s attacks on Social Security.
    “As ranking member of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, I am committed to protecting benefits for the 3.8 million New Yorkers and 69 million Americans who rely on Social Security to pay their bills, afford medical care, and put food on the table,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Recipients have been paying into the system their entire lives with the understanding that they will receive a return on their investment. The US government made a promise to our seniors to take care of them, and it’s our responsibility to make sure Commissioner Bisignano and the Trump administration keep that promise.”
    Since President Trump took office, Elon Musk and his team at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have worked to dismantle the Social Security Administration. Senate Democrats sent 17 letters to the SSA — helmed by then-Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek — pressing for answers and fighting back against the attack on Americans’ services and benefits.
    Following Senate Republicans’ vote to confirm Frank Bisignano last week, the lawmakers redelivered all 17 of these letters, along with a note pressing Bisignano to respond and answer for DOGE’s attacks on the SSA.  
    “We have not received responses to the vast majority of our questions. In fact, Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek has reportedly instructed staff to not respond to public or congressional inquiries. The limited answers we have received have been unsatisfactory,” wrote the lawmakers in their note to Bisignano.
    The lawmakers also highlighted their past requests for information from Bisignano — most of which went unanswered. 
    “You repeatedly claimed that, because you were not yet working at SSA, you did not have sufficient information to answer. You made these claims despite the fact that a former SSA employee whistleblower has reported that you have been participating extensively in high-level operational, management, and personnel decisions at SSA. Regardless of your previous claims, though, you have now been sworn in and have access to the information you claimed you need to provide us answers,” the lawmakers continued.
    Senate Democrats’ Social Security War Room is a coordinated effort to fight back against the Trump administration’s attack on Americans’ Social Security. The War Room coordinates messaging across the Senate Democratic Caucus and external stakeholders; encourages grassroots engagement by providing opportunities for Americans to share what Social Security means to them; and educates Senate staff, the American public, and stakeholders about Republicans’ agenda and their continued cuts to Americans’ Social Security services and benefits.
    The full text of the Senators’ letters can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE arrests former Massachusetts music teacher and Filipino man for sexually exploiting children

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BOSTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a former private school music teacher and a Filipino man on charges alleging that the two produced videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minor boys in the Philippines.

    ICE Homeland Security Investigations special agents arrested Joshua DeWitte, 50, of Cambridge on May 8 and Christopher Allan Tisoy, 27, a Filipino national residing in Baltimore, Maryland on May 7. Both were charged with one count each of sexual exploitation of minors, attempt, and conspiracy.

    According to the charging documents, at the time of the alleged conduct, DeWitte was a music teacher at a local school in Massachusetts. Tisoy, a citizen of the Philippines who lawfully entered the United States in September 2024 on a H-1B Visa, is employed as a medical technologist at the Sinai Hospital of Baltimore.

    According to the charging documents, in December 2024, DeWitte was allegedly identified as the owner of a Snapchat account that uploaded a file of suspected child sexual abuse material depicting the abuse of a boy who appears to be between approximately eight and 10 years old. Records obtained from Snapchat allegedly showed that, in September 2024, DeWitte engaged in multiple conversations that were sexual in nature with users who presented themselves as minors. In those conversations, it is alleged that DeWitte requested nude pictures from the purported minors; sent pictures of his penis to the purported minors; and discussed previous and potential in-person meetups for sexual relations with minors.

    Additionally, it is further alleged that DeWitte paid, and offered to pay, another Snapchat user to obtain and produce child pornography and to recruit minor boys for himself.

    Based on that information, state law enforcement obtained a search warrant for DeWitte’s Cambridge residence in January 2025. DeWitte was then arrested and charged in Cambridge District Court with six counts of disseminating obscene material to a child, one count of distribution of material depicting a child in a sexual act and one count of possession of child pornography. He was later released on conditions.

    According to the charging documents, HSI’s forensic examination of DeWitte’s cell phone seized at the time of his January 2025 arrest allegedly revealed a Telegram conversation between DeWitte and another user in which DeWitte allegedly shared three video files and stated, “I was in the Philippines. Most of my vids are from there and that’s where I was with a 10 yo and 12. 16 yo in Japan and Korea;” and “I have a contact there…He only records vids of the boys or arranges for my visit.”

    It is alleged that a separate Telegram conversation between DeWitte and Tisoy was located on DeWitte’s phone, in which they discussed four minor boys by name and arranged for the production of videos depicting the sexual exploitation of at least two minor boys in the Philippines.

    Specifically, it is alleged that in the conversations, DeWitte and Tisoy negotiated the terms of creating sexually explicit videos involving minors, including which minors should be involved; which sex acts the minors should perform; who should film, including whether a third party or one of the minors themselves should film; what angles should be filmed; and how much DeWitte should pay Tisoy for each video. The negotiation allegedly incorporated the sexual preferences of both DeWitte and Tisoy, with both agreeing on what they would each find sexually gratifying. Tisoy then allegedly relayed instructions to the minor victims to create a video.

    DeWitte allegedly paid Tisoy for each video Tisoy produced and sent. It is alleged that, between July 3, 2023, and Dec. 27, 2024, DeWitte sent 87 PayPal payments to Tisoy, in amounts ranging from $27 to $958, to film the sexual exploitation of minors in the Philippines — totaling to approximately $23,752.

    Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.

    The charge of sexual exploitation of minors, attempt, and conspiracy provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    The investigation was led by HSI New England’s Child Exploitation group with valuable assistance from the Cambridge Police Department, HSI Baltimore, the Maryland Department of State Police, and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    Report suspected child exploitation to the ICE Tip Line at 866-347-2423 or through the CyberTipline on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s website.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE leads investigation as 4 Mexican nationals charged in international smuggling conspiracy bringing migrants from Canada into the US

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    BUFFALO, N.Y. — Four Mexican nationals unlawfully residing in the United States were charged May 2 for their roles in an international human smuggling conspiracy that illegally brought aliens across the Canadian border to the United States for profit.

    Edgar Sanchez-Solis, 23, unlawfully residing in Kansas City, Kansas; Ignacio Diaz-Perez, 35, unlawfully residing in Oakwood, Georgia; Samuel Diaz-Perez, 26, unlawfully residing in Dublin, Ohio; and Salvador Diaz-Diaz, 32, unlawfully residing in Columbus, Ohio, were charged by indictment with conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States and 25 counts of bringing aliens illegally to the United States for profit. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested the defendants at multiple locations throughout the United States. They are currently detained. Ignacio Diaz-Perez and Salvador Diaz-Diaz had been previously removed from the United States.

    “These individuals acted in blatant disregard of our nation’s laws, allegedly smuggling hundreds of aliens into the United States for thousands of dollars each,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Buffalo Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan. “They’re alleged to have repeatedly put the public at risk through dangerous vehicle chases with law enforcement further demonstrating their contempt for the law and safety of others. We work every day with our partners in the U.S. Border Patrol and are proud to support the security of our borders and uphold public safety in our communities.”

    “As alleged, these defendants illegally entered this country and then sought to smuggle hundreds of aliens per week to the United States from Mexico, Central America, and South America through the Canadian border,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendants instructed smuggled aliens to make testimonial videos touting the enterprise’s services. In reality, the defendants imperiled their human cargo and innocent American lives when they repeatedly engaged in life-threatening conduct, including multiple high-speed getaways from law enforcement.”

    According to court documents, the four defendants were part of an alien smuggling organization that has been operating for the last two years in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The four defendants, in exchange for money, conspired with others to smuggle hundreds of aliens per week from Mexico, Central America, and South America through Canada, into northern New York, including Franklin and Clinton Counties, as alleged in court documents. The aliens or their family members paid thousands of dollars to be smuggled into the United States. The defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly facilitated the illegal travel of the aliens from Mexico to Canada and then across the northern border, where they were picked up and driven farther into the United States.

    On multiple occasions members of the alien smuggling organization led local and federal law enforcement officers on high-speed vehicle chases along the U.S. northern border, creating a grave public safety risk, according to court documents. For example, in April 2023, smugglers allegedly fled the Burke Border Patrol Station’s sector at a high rate of speed after setting off a border sensor. Border Patrol successfully stopped the vehicle and apprehended the smugglers, who were transporting seven adult aliens and three minors. In another incident, in May 2023, the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office used a tire deflation device to stop a van carrying aliens after it allegedly failed to yield to both federal and state law enforcement. The smugglers and aliens allegedly fled on foot after the vehicle was disabled. As additionally alleged, in August 2023, a vehicle carrying aliens that was fleeing from Border Patrol drove into Plattsburgh, New York, where it drove erratically, passed vehicles in a congested traffic area, ran a red light, and struck a motorist at an intersection. The driver and six illegal aliens fled the accident scene on foot but eventually were apprehended.

    “This case demonstrates our relentless efforts to secure our northern border against the criminal organizations profiting from human smuggling and other illegal activities,” said U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York. “We are grateful for our partnership with Joint Task Force Alpha as we work to dismantle these transnational criminal organizations and make our North Country communities safer.”

    “These charges are a testament to the hard work of the men and women of the United States Border Patrol and its partner agencies,” said Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Swanton Sector. “The days of catch-and-release are over, and the reality is clear; if you attempt to enter the United States illegally, if you attempt to smuggle or traffic human beings, you will be apprehended and you will face severe consequences.”

    HSI Rouses Point and U.S. Border Patrol Burke Station led U.S. investigative efforts, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Office of Chief Justice has zero-tolerance for corruption

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) has reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on fraud and corruption following allegations of impropriety at the Mthatha High Court in the Eastern Cape.

    This after reports that officials at the court are allegedly embroiled in a bribery scheme – soliciting payments from advocates to perform tasks already within the ambit of their jobs, including finding files that have seemingly gone missing, transcriptions and allocating dates for trial.

    “The OCJ reiterates its zero-tolerance approach to fraud and corruption. The organisation treats complaints on alleged acts of fraud and corruption with seriousness, urgency and sensitivity, to safeguard the integrity and legality of any processes that may unfold as guided by the department’s Fraud Prevention and Anti-Corruption Policy,” the OCJ said in a statement.

    The office confirmed that it had received light of the allegations through an anonymous letter in December 2024.

    “Subsequently, the OCJ instituted a forensic investigation in line with the organisation’s Fraud Prevention and Anti-Corruption Policy, whilst working closely with relevant law enforcement agencies.

    “Accordingly, the department took a prudent approach to releasing specific details on its ongoing investigation to the media so as not to jeopardise any future legal processes or further investigations that may ensue. 

    “The OCJ reiterates that it is dependent on all stakeholders in the fight against fraud and corruption, including the media, to act in a manner that safeguards the integrity of the processing of legitimate complaints,” the statement read.

    Chief Justice Mandisa Maya is expected to meet with Acting Judge President of the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court, Judge Zamani Nhlangulela on Tuesday to “receive a briefing and discuss expediting the roll-out of the Court Online System”.

    “The OCJ appreciates the public interest generated by the perception of impropriety in the Mthatha High Court and is prepared to account fully and transparently to the public on this matter in due course,” the statement said.

    Any person with information on alleged wrongdoing within the Department [of Justice and Constitutional Development can report and provide the necessary evidence to the relevant authorities at https://www.gov.za/anti-corruption/hotlines. 

    Alternatively, a complaint may be laid directly with the OCJ as per the department’s policy on complaints management, which can be accessed at https://www.judiciary.org.za/index.php/complaints/ocj-complaints. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Crime affects everyone, not only certain groups: Lamola

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola has firmly denied allegations of persecution against white South Africans, especially white farmers. 

    This is after a group of 49 Afrikaners left South Africa on Sunday after being granted refugee status by the Trump administration, following claims that they were “victims of unjust racial discrimination“.

    The group is expected to arrive at the Dulles International Airport in Virginia on Monday. 

    Addressing a media briefing in Pretoria on Monday on South Africa’s G20 Presidency, Lamola said the South African government refutes the claim that white South Africans are persecuted and qualify as refugees. 

    “We have stated… that, in line with the international definition, they do not qualify for that status, according to us, and there is no persecution of Afrikaners in South Africa.” 

    Lamola said that crime in South Africa affects all citizens regardless of race, and there is no systematic targeting of Afrikaners.

    “Crime in South Africa affects everyone, irrespective of race and gender. There is a more pronounced crime that we are dealing with, which the President has declared a pandemic, [and that] is… gender-based violence, which is a societal challenge that we have to respond to. 

    “But there’s no danger at all that backs that there is persecution of white South Africans or Afrikaners (sic).” 

    The Minister said police statistics do not support claims of racial persecution, and that crime is a national challenge affecting all South Africans. 

    “In fact, more farm dwellers are also affected by crime, and white farmers do get [more] affected by crime, just like any other South African who gets affected by crime. So this is not factual… and [it is] without basis.” 

    On the question of whether these “refugees” have been vetted, Lamola said there was a process they had to undergo involving the South African Police Service (SAPS), such as checking all their criminal records. 

    “As I’ve said earlier, they can’t provide any proof of prosecution because there’s none… And we’re glad that a number of organisations, even from Afrikaner structures, have denounced this so-called ‘persecution’.”

    Lamola stated that where there are challenges, there are platforms to resolve them within the South African context, making this a domestic issue.

    “Our legislation provides sufficient platforms for any issue to be ventilated in that regard, and white South Africans, including Afrikaners, have voiced their views in this regard, and we welcome that as the government of South Africa. We encourage more of such engagements and platforms to clarify on the world stage this disinformation.” 

    The Minister took the time to denounce the notion of persecution and highlighted domestic platforms for resolving issues. 

    Regarding the Group of 20 (G20) Leaders’ Summit set for later this year, he said all members are invited, and that the participation of the United States and Russia is left to their discretion. 

    Meanwhile, Lamola announced that South Africa has extended invitations to African countries and other global entities, with any further invitations requiring consensus among G20 members. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Marketing unhealthy food as good for kids is fuelling obesity in South Africa: how to curb it

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Aisosa Jennifer Omoruyi, Research fellow, University of the Western Cape

    Childhood overweight and obesity are a growing public health challenge in South Africa. In 2016, 13% of the country’s children were reported to be obese. This is predicted to double by 2030.

    This problem has been linked to the regular consumption of calorie-dense foods high in sugar, salt and fat.
    South African children are growing up in a food environment that tends to cause obesity.

    One of its key features is intense marketing of unhealthy food and beverages, using various channels and appealing strategies. Misleading health and nutrition claims are sometimes made.

    Children are considered lucrative consumers because they can sometimes buy food themselves, influence their parents’ food purchases (they have “pester power”, for one thing), and are future consumers.

    Marketers use several strategies that children find appealing, such as cartoon characters, brand mascots, bright colours, colourful packages, catchy songs and slogans.

    Although there is no specific regulation of marketing to children in South Africa, the Consumer Protection Act 58 of 2008 has important provisions that guide the marketing of goods and services. The law prohibits false, deceptive marketing.

    As a researcher into children’s rights and nutrition I coauthored a recent paper examining how the Consumer Protection Act could be used to address the misleading marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children.

    In our view, the South African consumer protection legal framework has the necessary scope to address misleading forms of marketing of unhealthy foods to children. But there needs to be better enforcement.



    Read more:
    Profit versus health: 4 ways big global industries make people sick

    Health claims: not always the full package

    A common strategy in food marketing is the use of misleading health or nutrition claims. These are often written (“contains vitamin C”, “high fibre”, “boosts immunity”, “supports brain health”), or implied by images of fruits and vegetables on the packaging of products.

    Some studies in South Africa have demonstrated the misleading use of these claims in television and magazine
    advertisements and food packages, including products meant for children.

    For instance, fruit juices often claim to be rich in vitamin C, but they have a high sugar content. Dairy products typically boast a high calcium content, but are also high in added sugar. Breakfast cereals frequently highlight their fibre content, despite being ultra-processed and containing a high amount of total carbohydrates and added sugar.

    Packaged foods often contain nutrition labels, but the printed words are small and usually obscured by the “healthy” claims. Those are positioned more prominently to capture the attention of the consumer.

    Health and nutrition claims can strongly influence purchasing decisions, especially in the South African context. Research has shown that many South African consumers do not read nutrition labels on packaged foods.



    Read more:
    Half of all South Africans are overweight or obese. Warning labels on unhealthy foods help change that

    What the law says

    Firstly, the Consumer Protection Act recognises children as vulnerable or disadvantaged consumers who deserve special protection (section 3(1)(b)(iii). This is because they have limited capacity to understand marketing strategies or defend themselves against their persuasive effects.

    Secondly, the Consumer Protection Act, in sections 29 and 41, prohibits the marketing of goods in a way that is reasonably likely to imply a false or misleading representation of facts such as their ingredients, benefits and qualities.

    Thirdly, the Consumer Protection Act provisions do not require a consumer to show that they were actually misled by the claim or that children’s health was negatively affected by consuming the food product. It is enough that it has been marketed in a manner that is reasonably likely to mislead children or their parents or caregivers into buying the product.

    Consumers have various ways to seek redress for misleading marketing. These include the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud and the Advertising Regulatory Board, the National Consumer Commission, the National Consumer Tribunal and the courts.

    However, delays and poor compliance with decisions can put consumers off.



    Read more:
    South Africa must ban sugary drinks sales in schools. Self regulation is failing

    Food for thought: the way forward

    Mandatory front-of-pack labels are needed in South Africa. They should be easy to understand and highlight nutrients of concern – salt, fat, sugar and artificial sweeteners – to reflect the overall nutritional profile of food products. They can also override the misleading “health halo” effect generated by health or nutrition claims.

    The public should support the Draft Regulation R3337 Relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs made under the Foodstuffs, Cosmetic, and Disinfectant Act 54 of 1972. It specifically prohibits marketing unhealthy food to children.

    The act needs to be used more and this requires much greater consumer activism.

    Dispute mechanisms could be stronger and the processes could be streamlined to encourage consumer participation.

    The government and public interest organisations need to create greater public awareness of consumer rights.

    Aisosa Jennifer Omoruyi is a Research Fellow at the Dullah Omar Institute, University of the Western Cape, which receives funding from the Global Center for Legal Innovation on Food Environments at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC.

    – ref. Marketing unhealthy food as good for kids is fuelling obesity in South Africa: how to curb it – https://theconversation.com/marketing-unhealthy-food-as-good-for-kids-is-fuelling-obesity-in-south-africa-how-to-curb-it-253994

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Stefanik Honors Police Officers During National Police Week

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (21st District of New York)

    Stefanik Honors Police Officers During National Police Week | Press Releases | Congresswoman Elise Stefanik

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Maryland Man Sentenced to 96 Months for Traveling to the District of Columbia for Sex with Child

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    WASHINGTON – Nathaniel Lamar Nelson Scott, 36, of Bowie, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 96-months in federal prison in connection with traveling to sexually abuse a six-year-old girl in the District of Columbia.

    The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

    Scott pleaded guilty October 16, 2024, to one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Scott to serve a lifetime term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.

    According to the government’s evidence, in May 2024 Scott began communicating via an encrypted messaging application with a man he met on a fetish website. Scott believed the man to be a pedophile who was sexually abusing his six-year-old daughter. The man actually was an undercover officer with the MPD–FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Over the next several days, Scott engaged in graphic conversations with the undercover officer about sexually abusing the purported child. On June 5, 2024, Scott arranged to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child. He traveled from Maryland to a pre-arranged meeting place in the District where he was arrested.

    This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Bond and Paul V. Courtney.

    24cr287

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-Led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Five in the Eastern District of Michigan

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    DETROIT – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

    “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

    “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

    “We are called to protect the most vulnerable members of our community, our children,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.  “Our office will bring the full force of the law against those who exploit innocent children. We are firmly committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute anyone who seeks to hurt our children.”

    “Operation Restore Justice demonstrates the strength of our law enforcement partnerships,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Members of the FBI Detroit Field Office’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, along with the Macomb County FBI Gang and Violent Crime Task Force, greatly appreciate the coordinated efforts and support from our law enforcement partners, including ICE HSI, U.S. Border Patrol, CBP Air and Marine Operations, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office, Shelby Township Police Department, Royal Oak Police Department, Belleville Police Department, Westland Police Department, and Centerline Police Department. This operation led to multiple arrests across eastern Michigan, underscoring our commitment to protecting and strengthening community safety.”

    Those charged in the Eastern District of Michigan were:

    Adarius Carr, 36, of Belleville.  Carr is charged in a criminal complaint with distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography.  The complaint alleges that Carr communicated with a convicted sex offender over an Internet-messaging service. The two discussed their sexual interest in children and exchanged images and videos of child pornography.

    Aroul Kaliamurthy, 53, of Westland, Michigan. Kaliamurthy was charged in a criminal complaint with transportation, possession, and access with intent to view child pornography.  It is alleged that Kaliamurthy traveled to North Carolina where he took hidden camera videos of a naked prepubescent child. Kaliamurthy is alleged to have possessed these electronic devices as well as images of child pornography on his cell phone and personal computers and brought them back to the Eastern District of Michigan.

    Scott Rocky, 57, of Centerline.  Rocky was charged in a criminal complaint with receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography.  The complaint alleges that Rocky shared approximately 4141 files believed to be child pornography with other internet users over peer-to-peer software.

    Amor Pedro Martinez, 26, of Ecorse.  Martinez was charged in a criminal complaint with receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography.  According to the criminal complaint, Martinez is alleged to have engaged in sexually explicit conversations on a messaging application with other individuals and received child pornography on this application from another user.

    Whitney Williams, 38.  Williams was charged in a criminal complaint with sex trafficking of a minor. According to the criminal complaint, Williams is alleged to have advertised, rented hotel rooms and transported a minor victim to engage in commercial sex acts.

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

    The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

     

    An indictment/complaint is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

     

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-Led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Seven in the Western District of Michigan

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

              May 7, 2025 – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

              “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

              “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

              Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge advised that “With this operation, we are amplifying the message that the Department is fully committed to securing justice for the most innocent of victims: children in our communities.”

              “Operation Restore Justice highlights the importance of collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The members of the FBI Grand Rapids WEBCHEX Task Force and the Lansing Resident Agency appreciate the vital support from our partners, including the Michigan State Police, Kent County Sheriff’s Office, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, Newaygo County Sheriff’s Office, Norton Shores Police Department, Grand Rapids Police Department, Lansing Police Department, and the Muskegon County Prosecutor’s Office. This coordinated effort led to numerous arrests across western Michigan and in Arkansas and Tennessee, with crucial assistance from the FBI Little Rock (Texarkana Resident Agency) and Nashville (Knoxville Resident Agency) Field Offices. Operation Restore Justice demonstrates our shared commitment to public safety in Michigan and throughout the United States.”

              In the Western District of Michigan, seven individuals were arrested and charged with federal crimes: Christian Vanderveen, of Comstock Park; Paul Masko, of Grand Haven; Terry Hopkins, of Muskegon Heights; Martell Scott-Ware, of Grand Rapids; Shauntelle Blackmon, of Arkadelphia, Arkansas; Joesph Brandon, of Knoxville, Tennessee; and George Edward Lebaron, of Egelston Township.

    *  Christian Vanderveen, 24, of Comstock Park, was charged by Complaint with Sexual Exploitation of a Child. According to court documents, Vanderveen repeatedly requested sexually explicit images from a minor who was under the age of thirteen. Evidence obtained from his cell phone revealed the sexually explicit media, as well as Vanderveen’s requests. In an interview with law enforcement, Vanderveen admitted to this conduct.

    If convicted, Vanderveen faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, and a maximum penalty of 30 years.

    This case was investigated by the Michigan State Police and FBI.

    # # #

    *  Paul Masko, of Grand Haven, was indicted for three counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child.  Each charge is punishable by a minimum of 15 years, and a maximum of 30 years, in prison.

    Masko was a teacher at a public school in Muskegon County.  The indictment alleges that Masko gave his phone to a minor victim and directed the minor to take pictures of explicit images of the minor on the minor’s cell phone.

    This case was investigated by the Muskegon County Sheriff’s Department, the Grand Haven Department of Public Safety, and the FBI.

    # # #

    * Terry Hopkins, of Muskegon Heights, was indicted for possession of child pornography.

    Hopkins was previously convicted of possession of child sexually abusive material on two occasions and criminal sexual conduct with a minor.  As a result, he is subject to an enhanced sentence if convicted – a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison.

    This case was investigated by the Michigan State Police, Michigan Department of Corrections, and the FBI.

    # # #

    * Martell Scott-Ware, 29, of Grand Rapids and Shauntelle Blackmon, 23, of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, were indicted on criminal charges related to alleged sexual exploitation of a child. The grand jury also returned a separate charge accusing Blackmon alone of sex trafficking of a child.

    According to court documents, Scott-Ware and Blackmon are charged with persuading a minor female under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity, which Scott-Ware and Blackmon then recorded. Blackmon also allegedly recruited and offered the same minor for commercial sexual activity, both in the Western District of Michigan and in Arkansas.

    If convicted, Scott-Ware and Blackmon each face a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison on their charge of sexual exploitation of a child. Blackmon faces a separate mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison on the sex trafficking charge.

    The Michigan State Police and FBI investigated this case.

    # # #

    * Joseph Brandon, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was arrested by criminal complaint on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a child.  According to court documents, Brandon formed an agreement with a man in Michigan to use social media accounts to produce and trade child pornography.

    If convicted, Brandon faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, and a maximum penalty of 30 years.

    This FBI investigated this case

    # # #

    *  George Edward Lebaron, of Egelston Township, was arrested by criminal complaint on charges related to alleged coercion and enticement of a minor, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

    According to court documents, Lebaron is charged with establishing an online relationship with a 14-year-old girl and coercing and inducing her to send him naked pictures of herself.  Lebaron asked another minor girl to also send him naked pictures.  Lebaron was previously convicted in 2003 of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree for a victim under 13 years old.

    If convicted, Lebaron faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison if convicted of coercion and enticement.  If convicted of receipt of child pornography, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 40 years in prison.  If convicted of possession of child pornography, Lebaron faces a mandatory minimum of 10 year and a maximum of 20 years in prison.

    The FBI is investigating this case.

    # # #

              Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

              In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

              This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

              The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

              The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

              The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Electronic Press Kit

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

    A complaint and an indictment are merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: AI Innovation Takes Center Stage at iManage ConnectLive 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — iManage, the company dedicated to Making Knowledge Work™, today announced that it will showcase its latest wave of AI-driven innovation at its flagship customer conference, iManage ConnectLive 2025. The company enters the event on a strong growth trajectory, driven by rapid adoption of generative AI capabilities and continued investment in modernizing knowledge work.

    Since the start of the year, iManage has signed 87 new customers, bringing its total to 4,275 organizations globally — including 80% of the AmLaw 100 and 41% of the Fortune 100. More than 75% of these customers rely on iManage Cloud, which saw 25.3% year-over-year growth in annual recurring revenue as of March 2025.

    AI-Powered Knowledge Work, Evolved
    A centerpiece of iManage’s innovation is Ask iManage, a secure, AI-powered assistant natively embedded in the iManage Work 10 experience. Launched in 2024 and rapidly enhanced in 2025, Ask iManage is designed to reduce context switching and elevate productivity — bringing AI directly into the tools professionals already use.

    Major recent enhancements include:

    • Smart Guided Actions: Ready-to-use intuitive capabilities like “Overview,” “Extract,” “Summarize,” and “Analyze” allowing users to get results from legal, financial and accounting content without needing expertise in prompt engineering.
    • Chronology Action: Automatically organizes events from documents into structured, citation-backed timelines, ideal for litigation prep, due diligence, checklist summaries and more.
    • Unified document insights with Ask Across: Extracts consistent, relevant answers from document sets, streamlining information gathering and review. This is particularly useful for legal teams who need to analyze large sets of documents quickly and efficiently.
    • Microsoft Word Integration: Stay within your work environment when drafting – Allows users to engage with Ask iManage capabilities directly in Word to summarize, extract, find and analyze content without switching applications and context switching.
    • Ask iManage History: Reference personalized project history to save, manage, and revisit Ask iManage document collections with ease and leverage previous work.

    These updates demonstrate iManage’s commitment to embedding AI seamlessly into daily workflows — helping customers unlock the full value of their organizational knowledge.

    Customers enabling Ask iManage are supported by the extensive Wayfinder program — a guided rollout initiative offering structured enablement, onboarding, and support for iManage Cloud customers. Feedback from Wayfinder participants has directly shaped new features, ensuring real-world relevance and immediate value.

    Continued Investment in the iManage Platform
    These AI advancements build on iManage’s broader investment in its core platform — ensuring that while AI accelerates insight and efficiency, the underlying user experience remains seamless, secure, and intuitive. From productivity features to cloud-native integrations, iManage continues to enhance the foundation that knowledge workers rely on every day.

    Unleashing Knowledge Velocity: Removing Friction, Advancing Governance
    iManage continues to drive meaningful productivity gains by removing friction from knowledge work — while also investing in the foundations that make AI effective: good data, responsible governance, and secure collaboration.

    iManage has introduced high-performance tools like iManage Work OCR — a high-speed, AI-powered optical character recognition capability that makes image-based documents searchable. Powered by Azure Document Intelligence – Read, the iManage Cloud OCR is now 25% more accurate, 100x faster, and supports 6x more throughput than previous versions. This powerful OCR capability exemplifies the ways the deep technical partnership between Microsoft and iManage delivers tangible benefits to today’s knowledge professionals.

    This improved OCR service, powered by Azure Document Intelligence – Read is available to all subscribed iManage Cloud Work OCR users at no additional cost.

    This is part of a broader strategy to Unleash Knowledge Velocity by helping customers build high-quality, well-governed data sets — the essential ingredient for effective use of AI. iManage’s integrated records management and governance capabilities ensure customers have integrated capabilities to meet the governance, security and compliance obligations.

    “As we welcome customers to ConnectLive 2025, we’re excited to showcase the innovations that are reshaping how legal and knowledge professionals work,” said Neil Araujo, CEO, iManage. “This year marks our 30th anniversary — a milestone that reflects our long-standing commitment to empowering professionals to maximize their productivity while also keeping their information assets governed and secure. With the rapid evolution of AI, we’re not just adding new features — we’re using AI to enhance our core capabilities and make the work that legal professionals do every day faster, smarter and safer.”

    ConnectLive 2025
    ConnectLive 2025 brings together legal, financial, and corporate professionals to explore the future of AI-powered knowledge work — and how modern platforms like iManage are enabling organizations to work safer, faster, and smarter.

    Across all three cities, attendees will gain hands-on exposure to the platform capabilities driving this transformation — from practical AI applications to records governance and secure collaboration. With over 30 sessions each day, the event offers deep dives into knowledge management innovation, customer use cases, and product strategy, as well as opportunities to connect with and learn from peers and iManage experts.

    Chicago Keynote Highlight
    Fireside Chat: Building an Effective AI Strategy: Tony Surma, CTO for Microsoft’s Americas Global Partner Solutions organization, joins Neil Araujo for a conversation on the real-world challenges and practical considerations of implementing a successful AI strategy.

    Whether attending in New York, Chicago, or London, ConnectLive attendees will experience how iManage is Unleashing Knowledge Velocity — helping organizations modernize their approach to information, build better data sets, and govern knowledge more effectively in the era of AI.

    • ConnectLive New York: May 13, 2025
    • ConnectLive Chicago: May 15, 2025
    • ConnectLive London: June 4, 2025

    Learn more here.

    About iManage
    iManage is dedicated to Making Knowledge Work™. Our cloud-native platform is at the center of the knowledge economy, enabling every organization to work more productively, collaboratively, and securely. Built on more than 20 years of industry experience, iManage helps leading organizations manage documents and emails more efficiently, protect vital information assets, and leverage knowledge to drive better business outcomes. As your strategic business partner, we employ our award-winning AI-enabled technology, an extensive partner ecosystem, and a customer-centric approach to provide support and guidance you can trust to make knowledge work for you. iManage is relied on by more than one million professionals at 4,000 organizations around the world. Visit www.imanage.com to learn more.

    Follow iManage via:
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/imanage
    X: https://x.com/imanageinc
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iManage 

    Press contact:
    Alicia Saragosa, iManage
    press@imanage.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Dan Goldman Demands AG Bondi Release Promised Jeffrey Epstein Files, Share Whether President Trump Has Intervened in Case to Hide Extensive Relationship with Epstein

    Source: US Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

    DOJ’s Extended Delay Raises Serious Questions Over Whether President Trump is Burying Files Due to His Well-Documented Association with the Child Sex Offender 

    Promised Report is Now 2 Months Late, Despite FBI Assigning Dozens of Agents to Process It 

    Read the Letter Here 

    Watch Rep. Goldman’s Exclusive Interview Here 

    Washington, D.C – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi today demanding that she promptly release the Jeffrey Epstein Files in full, as well as inform Congress whether President Trump has intervened or delayed the release of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) report due to his well-documented and extensive relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. 

    “I write to express my grave concern about what appears to be a concerted effort by you to delay and even prevent the release of the Jeffrey Epstein Files in their entirety – potentially at the direction of the sitting President of the United States, Donald J. Trump,” Congressman Goldman wrote. 

    Following the broadly ridiculed release of The Epstein Files: Part 1 on February 27, 2025, AG Bondi demanded that the FBI deliver the complete Epstein Files within 24 hours to DOJ, as well as a comprehensive report from FBI Director Patel within 14 days. It has now been 74 days since Bondi issued those directives, yet the Department has not released the report despite months-old reporting that the FBI Field Office in New York has delayed other investigations to review and redact information for public release. The Congressman questioned if this delay may be related to President Trump’s long-running relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. 

    “The convergence of your unexplained delay in releasing the Epstein Files, the reporting nearly two months ago that numerous FBI agents were working overtime to redact the materials, President Trump’s well-documented affiliation with Epstein, and his view that the Department of Justice is his personal law firm raises serious questions about whether President Trump has intervened to prevent the public release of the Epstein Files in order to hide his own embarrassing and potentially criminal conduct,” Congressman Goldman continued. 

    Attorney General Bondi’s oath of office requires her to represent the United States’ interest without fear or favor, not protect the President’s embarrassing or even criminal behavior from being made public. Congressman Goldman requested that Attorney General Bondi inform Congress of whether the White House or Donald Trump himself has sought to intervene in the case in any way, as well as to provide a detailed timeline for the release of the Epstein Files. 

    “I look forward to your response to this matter of intense public interest. Both Congress and the American people are eager for you to follow through on your promise of transparency about the Epstein Files,” the Congressman concluded. 

    Read the full letter here or below: 

    Dear Attorney General Bondi, 

    I write to express my grave concern about what appears to be a concerted effort by you to delay and even prevent the release of the Jeffrey Epstein Files in their entirety – potentially at the direction of the sitting President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.  

    On February 27, 2025, to much fanfare, the Department of Justice under your leadership released a trove of already-public documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein 

    case titled The Epstein Files: Phase 1. This document dump, which was redacted ostensibly to “protect victims,” was sold to the American people as a fulfillment of President Trump’s promise of government transparency. It was rightly met, however, with widespread ridicule from across the political spectrum as a ham-handed attempt to gaslight the American people. 

    Shortly after the underwhelming ‘Phase 1’ release, you sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel attempting to pin blame on the FBI’s New York field office for the missing material. In that letter, also dated February 27, 2025, you demanded that the FBI deliver, within 24 hours, “the full and complete Epstein files…including all records, documents, audio and video recordings, and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and his clients, regardless of how such information was obtained.” You went on to clearly state that, “[t]here will be no withholdings or limitations to my or your access.” You further demanded a “comprehensive report” from the FBI Director “within 14 days.” Director Patel subsequently indicated his intent to comply with your request in a post on X: “There will be no cover-ups, no missing documents, and no stone left unturned.” 

    It is now 74 days past the issuance of both your 24-hour demand and 14-day deadline for a comprehensive report, yet you have provided no additional materials nor an explanation for the delay. Reporting from March 21, 2025, indicates that the FBI field office in New York, presumably at your direction, delayed other investigations in order to work around the clock to review and redact information contained in the Epstein Files for release.3 Although you stated on May 8, 2025, that “[t]here are thousands of videos of Epstein with children or child porn,” which would require redaction to protect the victims’ identities, it simply cannot take this long for dozens of agents working around the clock to make the necessary redactions. 

    Further, extensive reporting has revealed that President Donald Trump had a lengthy and close relationship with both Jeffrey Epstein and Epstein’s co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, including being named in Jeffrey Epstein’s flight logs as having flown on Epstein’s private jet at least seven times between 1993 and 1997. In 2002, President Trump was quoted as saying, “I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy… He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”5 Moreover, Epstein’s personal address book, leaked in 2009 by an Epstein employee, contained 14 phone numbers for President Trump, his wife, Melania, and members of his staff. 

    The convergence of your unexplained delay in releasing the Epstein Files, the reporting nearly two months ago that numerous FBI agents were working overtime to redact the materials, President Trump’s well documented affiliation with Epstein, and his view that the Department of Justice is his personal law firm raises serious questions about whether President Trump has intervened to prevent the public release of the Epstein Files in order to hide his own embarrassing and potentially criminal conduct. 

    As a former 10-year DOJ prosecutor, I remind you that, as Attorney General, your oath of office requires you to represent the United States’ interest without fear or favor, not President Trump’s personal interest. That obligation to the American people requires the immediate release in their entirety of the Epstein Files in your possession, subject to appropriate redactions related to victims and minors. To be clear, there is no proper basis to redact the name, identify, or likeness of President Trump. 

    If you have been directed to redact instances of President Trump’s name or likeness that are included in the Epstein Files, then your oath of office and your commitment to transparency requires you to inform the American people of that directive. As part of Congress’ oversight authority provided by the Constitution of the United States, I request that you respond, in writing, to the following questions no later than June 2, 2025: 

    1. Are you or the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in possession of all of the Epstein Files in the FBI’s custody and control? 

    1. Have the necessary redactions of victims’ identities and likenesses been completed? If not, why not?  

    1. Has the name, identity or likeness of President Donald Trump been redacted? If so, why?  

    1. Have you, OAG, or any other member of the DOJ been contacted by President Trump, anyone working in the White House, or another agent of President Trump’s about the Epstein Files?  

    1. If so, did they request that you or your staff prevent the release of the Epstein Files? 

    1. Did they request that you redact the name, identity or likeness of President Trump from the Epstein Files prepared to be released publicly pursuant to your previous promise?  

    1. If not, why haven’t you released the Epstein Files as you promised to do in February?  

    1. If you do still intend to release the Epstein Files, please provide a detailed timeline of your plan to do so. 

    I look forward to your response to this matter of intense public interest. Both Congress and the American people are eager for you to follow through on your promise of transparency about the Epstein Files. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Space law doesn’t protect historical sites, mining operations and bases on the Moon – a space lawyer describes a framework that could

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Michelle L.D. Hanlon, Professor of Air and Space Law, University of Mississippi

    Craters in the lunar surface are visible in this photo taken during the Apollo 11 mission. NASA via AP

    April 2025 was a busy month for space.

    Pop icon Katy Perry joined five other civilian women on a quick jaunt to the edge of space, making headlines. Meanwhile, another group of people at the United Nations was contemplating a critical issue for the future of space exploration: the discovery, extraction and utilization of natural resources on the Moon.

    At the end of April, a dedicated Working Group of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space released a draft set of recommended principles for space resource activities. Essentially, these are rules to govern mining on the Moon, asteroids and elsewhere in space for elements that are rare here on Earth.

    As a space lawyer and co-founder of For All Moonkind, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting human heritage in outer space, I know that the Moon could be the proving ground for humanity’s evolution into a species that lives and thrives on more than one planet. However, this new frontier raises complex legal questions.

    Space, legally

    Outer space – including the Moon – from a legal perspective, is a unique domain without direct terrestrial equivalent. It is not, like the high seas, the “common heritage of humankind,” nor is it an area, like Antarctica, where commercial mining is prohibited.

    Instead, the 1967 Outer Space Treaty – signed by more than 115 nations, including China, Russia and the United States – establishes that the exploration and use of space are the “province of all humankind.” That means no country may claim territory in outer space, and all have the right to access all areas of the Moon and other celestial bodies freely.

    The fact that, pursuant to Article II of the treaty, a country cannot claim territory in outer space, known as the nonappropriation principle, suggests to some that property ownership in space is forbidden.

    Can this be true? If your grandchildren move to Mars, will they never own a home? How can a company protect its investment in a lunar mine if it must be freely accessible by all? What happens, as it inevitably will, when two rovers race to a particular area on the lunar surface known to host valuable water ice? Does the winner take all?

    As it turns out, the Outer Space Treaty does offer some wiggle room. Article IX requires countries to show “due regard” for the corresponding interests of others. It is a legally vague standard, although the Permanent Court of Arbitration has suggested that due regard means simply paying attention to what’s reasonable under the circumstances.

    First mover advantage – it’s a race

    The treaty’s broad language encourages a race to the Moon. The first entity to any spot will have a unilateral opportunity to determine what’s legally “reasonable.” For example, creating an overly large buffer zone around equipment might be justified to mitigate potential damage from lunar dust.

    On top of that, Article XII of the Outer Space Treaty assumes that there will be installations, like bases or mining operations, on the Moon. Contrary to the free access principle, the treaty suggests that access to these may be blocked unless the owner grants permission to enter.

    Both of these paths within the treaty would allow the first person to make it to their desired spot on the Moon to keep others out. The U.N. principles in their current form don’t address these loopholes.

    The draft U.N. principles released in April mirror, and are confined by, the language of the Outer Space Treaty. This tension between free access and the need to protect – most easily by forbidding access – remains unresolved. And the clock is ticking.

    The Moon’s vulnerable legacy

    The U.S. Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon by 2028, China has plans for human return by 2030, and in the intervening years, more than 100 robotic missions are planned by countries and private industry alike. For the most part, these missions are all headed to the same sweet spot: the lunar south pole. Here, peaks of eternal light and deep craters containing water ice promise the best mining, science and research opportunities.

    Regions of the lunar south pole, left, and north pole, right, contain water in the form of ice (blue), which could be useful for space agencies hoping to set up lunar bases.
    NASA

    In this excitement, it’s easy to forget that humans already have a deep history of lunar exploration. Scattered on the lunar surface are artifacts displaying humanity’s technological progress.

    After centuries of gazing at our closest celestial neighbor with fascination, in 1959 the Soviet spacecraft, Luna 2, became the first human-made object to impact another celestial body. Ten years later, two humans, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, became the first ever to set foot upon another celestial body.

    More recently, in 2019, China’s Chang’e 4 achieved the first soft landing on the Moon’s far side. And in 2023, India’s Chandrayaan-3 became the first to land successfully near the lunar south pole.

    These sites memorialize humanity’s baby steps off our home planet and easily meet the United Nations definition of terrestrial heritage, as they are so “exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and to be of common importance for present and future generations of all humanity.”

    The international community works to protect such sites on Earth, but those protection protocols do not extend to outer space.

    Astronaut footprints are still intact on the lunar surface because the Moon doesn’t have weather. But nearby spacecraft or rovers could kick up dust and cover them.
    AP Photo

    The more than 115 other sites on the Moon that bear evidence of human activity are frozen in time without degradation from weather, animal or human activity. But this could change. A single errant spacecraft or rover could kick up abrasive lunar dust, erasing bootprints or damaging artifacts.

    Protection and the Outer Space Treaty

    In 2011, NASA recommended establishing buffer, or safety zones, of up to 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) to protect certain sites with U.S. artifacts.

    Because it understood that outright exclusion violates the Outer Space Treaty, NASA issued these recommendations as voluntary guidelines. Nevertheless, the safety zone concept, essentially managing access to and activities around specific areas, could be a practical tool for protecting heritage sites. They could act as a starting point to find a balance between protection and access.

    The U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space recently proposed new principles for space resource use.
    United States Mission to International Organizations in Vienna, CC BY-NC-ND

    One hundred and ninety-six nations have agreed, through the 1972 World Heritage Convention, on the importance of recognizing and protecting cultural heritage of universal value found here on Earth.

    Building on this agreement, the international community could require specific access protocols — such as a permitting process, activity restrictions, shared access rules, monitoring and other controls — for heritage sites on the Moon. If accepted, these protective measures for heritage sites could also work as a template for scientific and operational sites. This would create a consistent framework that avoids the perception of claiming territory.

    At this time, the draft U.N. principles released in April 2025 do not directly address the opposing concepts of access and protection. Instead, they defer to Article I of the Outer Space Treaty and reaffirm that everyone has free access to all areas of the Moon and other celestial bodies.

    As more countries and companies compete to reach the Moon, a clear lunar legal framework can guide them to avoid conflicts and preserve historical sites. The draft U.N. principles show that the international community is ready to explore what this framework could look like.

    Michelle L.D. Hanlon is affiliated with For All Moonkind, a not-for-profit organization committed to protecting human cultural heritage in outer space starting with the Apollo lunar landing sites.

    – ref. Space law doesn’t protect historical sites, mining operations and bases on the Moon – a space lawyer describes a framework that could – https://theconversation.com/space-law-doesnt-protect-historical-sites-mining-operations-and-bases-on-the-moon-a-space-lawyer-describes-a-framework-that-could-255757

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Antitrust scrutiny will only increase as Big Tech caught in escalating trade war, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Antitrust scrutiny will only increase as Big Tech caught in escalating trade war, says GlobalData

    Posted in Strategic Intelligence

    The consensus around the need to regulate digital monopolies has never been stronger on both sides of the Atlantic. Under the second Trump administration, transatlantic tensions over digital regulation, including antitrust, will heighten, as Big Tech is caught in an intensifying trade war, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    GlobalData’s latest Strategic Intelligence report “Antitrust,” reveals that the European Commission is enforcing the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and is expected to wrap up its investigations of Google, Meta, and Apple by 2026. The US government has stepped up efforts to tackle digital monopolies through lawsuits. The Department of Justice is considering breaking up Google, which would represent the most decisive intervention to date against one of the world’s most powerful tech companies. So far only Apple and Meta have been fined for a DMA infringement, while all lawsuits opened against Big Tech in the US are ongoing.

    Laura Petrone, Principal Analyst, Strategic Intelligence team at GlobalData, comments: “US President Donald Trump views the DMA as ‘overseas extortion’ of US companies, but Brussels is determined to go ahead with its antitrust investigations and has said that it will make no concessions on its digital rules in trade negotiations with the US.

    “There will likely be an acceleration in DMA enforcement as the EU uses the threat of fines and sanctions as bargain chips in tariff negotiations with Washington. The result could be a damaging tit-for-tat trade war in the tech industry.”

    While the Trump administration is expected to be more friendly to consolidation across different sectors, the tech industry will likely be the exception, as both recently appointed heads of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DoJ) have signaled their interest in scrutinizing Big Tech over antitrust. However, mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and partnerships perceived to be in the national interest, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), will likely receive a green light from US regulators.

    According to GlobalData’s regulatory risk scorecard, Big Tech will continue to be the target of intense antitrust scrutiny, and most Big Tech companies could be caught in the crossfire of trade wars ignited by Trump’s tariffs.

    Samsung Electronics has the lowest regulatory risk among Big Tech companies, while Meta, Alphabet, and Amazon have the highest. US and Chinese Big Tech companies will face intense regulatory scrutiny due to their dominant position in most digital markets.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: In death penalty cases, the quest for justice is not America’s highest value

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst College

    Between 1976 and 2015, 80% of Louisiana’s capital sentences were later reversed. Bernd Obermann/Getty Images

    Jimmie Christian Duncan learned in April 2025 that a Louisiana judge had dismissed his capital murder conviction and he would no longer face the prospect of execution. In 1998, a jury convicted Duncan of murdering his girlfriend’s 23-month-old daughter, and he had been on death row ever since.

    Louisiana has a long and troubled death penalty history. From 1976 to 2015, 80% of the state’s capital sentences were reversed on appeal, and 12 people have been exonerated from its death row.

    But the Bayou State is not the only death penalty state with a wrongful conviction problem. Death row exonerations – when someone is released after being sentenced – have become more common in the United States. More than 200 people have been freed in the past half-century.

    DNA evidence has been involved in only a handful of those cases, but not Duncan’s. Most of the others have happened when defense lawyers discovered new evidence of faulty eyewitness identification, or when prosecutorial misconduct cast doubt on the legality of the conviction.

    Duncan’s case stands out because it was the first successful use of Louisiana’s 2021 factual innocence statute. Under that law, reconsideration of convictions can be based on new facts rather than just constitutional or legal violations of a defendant’s rights.

    As Louisiana District Judge Alvin Sharp explained in his April 2025 opinion in Duncan’s case, “To possibly be successful on a ‘factual innocence’ claim, a Petitioner shall present new, reliable, and non-cumulative evidence that would be legally admissible at trial and that was not known or discoverable at or prior to trial…”

    In overturning Duncan’s conviction, Sharp highlighted new understandings about the unreliability of so-called bite mark analysis that played a key role in Duncan’s case. He also cited the testimony of “a very compelling witness” who testified that the child’s death was “accidental drowning,” not homicide.

    It might seem odd that it took the factual innocence statute in 2021 to make what Sharp did possible. But as a death penalty scholar, I believe it’s the latest reminder that, even in capital cases, the quest for justice has not always been the United States’ highest value.

    The shadow of Herrera v. Collins

    States such as Louisiana have enacted factual innocence statutes because there is no nationwide, constitutional bar to executing people who are factually innocent. More than three decades ago, the U.S. Supreme Court turned back a challenge to the constitutionality of executing people who might not have committed the crime for which they were sentenced to death.

    In February 1992, 10 years after his conviction, Leonel Herrera filed a writ of habeas corpus – a legal action used to challenge the legality of a person’s imprisonment. Herrera said he had new evidence showing he had not committed the murder for which he had been sentenced to death.

    Herrera’s lawyers argued that executing a factually innocent person would violate the Eighth Amendment, prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment. He also said it would violate the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of due process of law.

    Herrera wanted the courts to consider affidavits given long after Herrera’s conviction. Those affidavits claimed that Raul Herrera, Leonel Herrera’s brother, had said before he died that he, not Leonel, was guilty of the killing for which Leonel had been convicted.

    But the Supreme Court refused to consider that evidence.

    A 6–3 majority concluded that evidence of actual innocence was “not relevant … absent some other constitutional violation.” This ruling means that so long as applicable legal procedures are followed, it doesn’t matter whether the outcome is correct.

    In 1992, the Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the constitutionality of executing people who might not have committed the crime for which they were sentenced to death.
    AP Photo/Alex Brandon

    Making a place for actual innocence

    Not surprisingly, death penalty abolitionists were appalled by the outcome in Herrera’s case. They saw it as condoning the execution of the innocent.

    And in 2013, the Supreme Court opened the door for litigating actual innocence claims under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, which restricts prisoners’ habeas corpus rights.

    The court allowed prisoners who can show proof of innocence to file a habeas petition even after the normal time limit for filing one. But it did not say that executing the innocent would violate the Constitution.

    States have responded to this by enacting laws that allow people convicted of crimes to bring actual innocence claims, based on newly discovered DNA evidence.

    In 2012, Massachusetts passed a law allowing prisoners to seek “forensic or scientific analysis” of evidence in support of a claim of “factual innocence of the crime for which the person has been convicted.”

    Five other states – Louisiana, Maryland, Texas, Virginia and Utah – have passed laws allowing post-conviction actual innocence claims, even without DNA evidence.

    Under the Louisiana statute that Duncan invoked, “A petitioner who has been convicted of an offense may seek post-conviction relief on the grounds that he is factually innocent of the offense for which he was convicted.”

    In Louisiana, new evidence can be “scientific, forensic, physical, or nontestimonial documentary evidence.” Under some conditions, testimonial evidence is also admissible to prove innocence in post-conviction cases.

    Someone seeking such relief must prove “by clear and convincing evidence that, had the new evidence been presented at trial, no rational juror would have found the petitioner guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”

    A prison warden discusses the gurney used for lethal injections at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola in September 2009.
    AP Photo/Judi Bottoni

    Opposition to actual innocence

    Many people oppose allowing convicted criminals to reopen their cases, even if they are, like Duncan, on death row.

    In the Herrera case, for example, Chief Justice William Rehnquist said that doing so would have a “very disruptive effect … on the need for finality in capital cases.”

    It looks like Louisiana will again be weighing the value of finality and justice in capital cases.

    Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry wants to see its actual innocence law repealed, calling it a “woke, hug-a-thug policy” and arguing that “once a verdict has been finalized, there are no more ‘get out of jail free’ cards.”

    A bill in the Louisiana Legislature to change the law has been introduced in the 2025 legislative session.

    The stakes could not be higher.

    As former Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun wrote in his Herrera dissent, “Just as an execution without adequate safeguards is unacceptable, so too is an execution when the condemned prisoner can prove that he is innocent. The execution of a person who can show that he is innocent comes perilously close to simple murder.”

    Louisiana will soon have to decide how close it is willing to come to producing that tragic result.

    Austin Sarat does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. In death penalty cases, the quest for justice is not America’s highest value – https://theconversation.com/in-death-penalty-cases-the-quest-for-justice-is-not-americas-highest-value-256042

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Right now, space law doesn’t protect historical sites, mining operations and bases on the Moon – a space lawyer describes a framework that could

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Michelle L.D. Hanlon, Professor of Air and Space Law, University of Mississippi

    Craters in the lunar surface are visible in this photo taken during the Apollo 11 mission. NASA via AP

    April 2025 was a busy month for space.

    Pop icon Katy Perry joined five other civilian women on a quick jaunt to the edge of space, making headlines. Meanwhile, another group of people at the United Nations was contemplating a critical issue for the future of space exploration: the discovery, extraction and utilization of natural resources on the Moon.

    At the end of April, a dedicated Working Group of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space released a draft set of recommended principles for space resource activities. Essentially, these are rules to govern mining on the Moon, asteroids and elsewhere in space for elements that are rare here on Earth.

    As a space lawyer and co-founder of For All Moonkind, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting human heritage in outer space, I know that the Moon could be the proving ground for humanity’s evolution into a species that lives and thrives on more than one planet. However, this new frontier raises complex legal questions.

    Space, legally

    Outer space – including the Moon – from a legal perspective, is a unique domain without direct terrestrial equivalent. It is not, like the high seas, the “common heritage of humankind,” nor is it an area, like Antarctica, where commercial mining is prohibited.

    Instead, the 1967 Outer Space Treaty – signed by more than 115 nations, including China, Russia and the United States – establishes that the exploration and use of space are the “province of all humankind.” That means no country may claim territory in outer space, and all have the right to access all areas of the Moon and other celestial bodies freely.

    The fact that, pursuant to Article II of the treaty, a country cannot claim territory in outer space, known as the nonappropriation principle, suggests to some that property ownership in space is forbidden.

    Can this be true? If your grandchildren move to Mars, will they never own a home? How can a company protect its investment in a lunar mine if it must be freely accessible by all? What happens, as it inevitably will, when two rovers race to a particular area on the lunar surface known to host valuable water ice? Does the winner take all?

    As it turns out, the Outer Space Treaty does offer some wiggle room. Article IX requires countries to show “due regard” for the corresponding interests of others. It is a legally vague standard, although the Permanent Court of Arbitration has suggested that due regard means simply paying attention to what’s reasonable under the circumstances.

    First mover advantage – it’s a race

    The treaty’s broad language encourages a race to the Moon. The first entity to any spot will have a unilateral opportunity to determine what’s legally “reasonable.” For example, creating an overly large buffer zone around equipment might be justified to mitigate potential damage from lunar dust.

    On top of that, Article XII of the Outer Space Treaty assumes that there will be installations, like bases or mining operations, on the Moon. Contrary to the free access principle, the treaty suggests that access to these may be blocked unless the owner grants permission to enter.

    Both of these paths within the treaty would allow the first person to make it to their desired spot on the Moon to keep others out. The U.N. principles in their current form don’t address these loopholes.

    The draft U.N. principles released in April mirror, and are confined by, the language of the Outer Space Treaty. This tension between free access and the need to protect – most easily by forbidding access – remains unresolved. And the clock is ticking.

    The Moon’s vulnerable legacy

    The U.S. Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon by 2028, China has plans for human return by 2030, and in the intervening years, more than 100 robotic missions are planned by countries and private industry alike. For the most part, these missions are all headed to the same sweet spot: the lunar south pole. Here, peaks of eternal light and deep craters containing water ice promise the best mining, science and research opportunities.

    Regions of the lunar south pole, left, and north pole, right, contain water in the form of ice (blue), which could be useful for space agencies hoping to set up lunar bases.
    NASA

    In this excitement, it’s easy to forget that humans already have a deep history of lunar exploration. Scattered on the lunar surface are artifacts displaying humanity’s technological progress.

    After centuries of gazing at our closest celestial neighbor with fascination, in 1959 the Soviet spacecraft, Luna 2, became the first human-made object to impact another celestial body. Ten years later, two humans, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, became the first ever to set foot upon another celestial body.

    More recently, in 2019, China’s Chang’e 4 achieved the first soft landing on the Moon’s far side. And in 2023, India’s Chandrayaan-3 became the first to land successfully near the lunar south pole.

    These sites memorialize humanity’s baby steps off our home planet and easily meet the United Nations definition of terrestrial heritage, as they are so “exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and to be of common importance for present and future generations of all humanity.”

    The international community works to protect such sites on Earth, but those protection protocols do not extend to outer space.

    Astronaut footprints are still intact on the lunar surface because the Moon doesn’t have weather. But nearby spacecraft or rovers could kick up dust and cover them.
    AP Photo

    The more than 115 other sites on the Moon that bear evidence of human activity are frozen in time without degradation from weather, animal or human activity. But this could change. A single errant spacecraft or rover could kick up abrasive lunar dust, erasing bootprints or damaging artifacts.

    Protection and the Outer Space Treaty

    In 2011, NASA recommended establishing buffer, or safety zones, of up to 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) to protect certain sites with U.S. artifacts.

    Because it understood that outright exclusion violates the Outer Space Treaty, NASA issued these recommendations as voluntary guidelines. Nevertheless, the safety zone concept, essentially managing access to and activities around specific areas, could be a practical tool for protecting heritage sites. They could act as a starting point to find a balance between protection and access.

    The U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space recently proposed new principles for space resource use.
    United States Mission to International Organizations in Vienna, CC BY-NC-ND

    One hundred and ninety-six nations have agreed, through the 1972 World Heritage Convention, on the importance of recognizing and protecting cultural heritage of universal value found here on Earth.

    Building on this agreement, the international community could require specific access protocols — such as a permitting process, activity restrictions, shared access rules, monitoring and other controls — for heritage sites on the Moon. If accepted, these protective measures for heritage sites could also work as a template for scientific and operational sites. This would create a consistent framework that avoids the perception of claiming territory.

    At this time, the draft U.N. principles released in April 2025 do not directly address the opposing concepts of access and protection. Instead, they defer to Article I of the Outer Space Treaty and reaffirm that everyone has free access to all areas of the Moon and other celestial bodies.

    As more countries and companies compete to reach the Moon, a clear lunar legal framework can guide them to avoid conflicts and preserve historical sites. The draft U.N. principles show that the international community is ready to explore what this framework could look like.

    Michelle L.D. Hanlon is affiliated with For All Moonkind, a not-for-profit organization committed to protecting human cultural heritage in outer space starting with the Apollo lunar landing sites.

    – ref. Right now, space law doesn’t protect historical sites, mining operations and bases on the Moon – a space lawyer describes a framework that could – https://theconversation.com/right-now-space-law-doesnt-protect-historical-sites-mining-operations-and-bases-on-the-moon-a-space-lawyer-describes-a-framework-that-could-255757

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Muscatine Woman Sentenced to 45 Years in Federal Prison for Production and Possession of Child Pornography

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    DAVENPORT, Iowa –A Muscatine woman was sentenced today to 45 years in federal prison for producing and possessing child pornography.

    According to public court documents, Jessica Rochelle Peters, 37, produced seven videos and three photos containing child sexual abuse material in July 2021, including videos of Peters sexually abusing a minor victim. Peters sent the videos and photos to a man in Indiana, who sent Peters money. The Indiana man was charged with felony child endangerment and possession of child pornography. The charges were dismissed following the man’s death.

    After completing his term of imprisonment, Peters will be required to serve a 10-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

    United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Child Exploitation Task Force.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-Led Nationwide Crackdown, Including One in the District of Nebraska

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators.  The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

    “The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

    “Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

    Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen said, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our local FBI partners have a long history of prioritizing these types of cases and working together to achieve justice for victims of these crimes. We were proud to contribute to this initiative.”

    On April 29, 2025, Kody Dickes, 34, of Ashland, Nebraska, was arrested by criminal complaint for distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

    Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

    In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

    This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

    The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

    The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

    Other online resources:

    Violent Crimes Against Children

    How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

     

    An indictment or complaint is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Couple Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Jaiveer Tyee, 53, and Xanthe Tabbs, 56, both of Coral Gables, Florida, were sentenced on May 2, 2025 in federal court in for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Tyee to 9 months’ imprisonment and Tabbs to 3 years’ probation. Tyee and Tabbs were also ordered to pay $138,926.71 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system. After Tyee’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.

    From April 25, 2018, to July 19, 2018, Tyee and Tabbs conspired to participate in a scheme to defraud a company located in the District of Nebraska. The victim company specialized in subscription-based services for the analysis and delivery of real-time weather, agricultural, energy, and commodity market information.

    Using a spoofed email account, an unknown person posed as a vendor of the victim company and requested a change payment related to an invoice the victim company was in the process of paying.  The fraudulent email purporting to be from the vendor contained wiring instructions and third-party bank account information, that in fact was not associated with the vendor. The victim company’s employee, thinking the wire transfer request was legitimate, complied with the wire transfer request.

    On May 23, 2018, the victim company was induced into making an unauthorized wire transfer totaling $280,646 from its financial institution to a third-party bank account that was jointly accessed and controlled by Tyee and Tabbs.  After the unauthorized wire transfer was deposited, Tyee and Tabbs immediately conducted numerous financial transactions, which included obtaining cashier’s checks and making wire transfers to other bank accounts controlled and accessed by Tyee and Tabbs.  After detection of the fraudulently induced transfer, the victim company was able to recover a portion of the proceeds resulting a loss of $138,926.71.

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Indictment Charges Three Alleged Members or Associates of Chicago Street Gang with Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Multiple Murders and Carjackings

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    CHICAGO — A federal superseding indictment returned today charges three alleged members or associates of a Chicago street gang with conspiring to commit multiple murders and carjackings in the city and suburbs.

    EDSON RESENDEZ, MAVERICK CELA, and PREZILA APREZA committed the violence as part of their membership or association with the Spanish Gangster Disciples street gang, a criminal organization based on the Northwest Side of Chicago, according to a second superseding indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  Cela was among the leaders of the gang, the indictment states.  The indictment alleges that in furtherance of a racketeering conspiracy, Resendez, Cela, Apreza, and other gang members and associates committed three murders, two attempted murders, four carjackings, an attempted carjacking, and an act of arson. The violence occurred in a two-week period in 2020, the charges allege.

    Resendez, 23, Cela, 24, and Apreza, 24, all of Chicago, are in law enforcement custody. Arraignments on the new superseding charges have not yet been scheduled.

    The superseding indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Skokie, Ill. Police Department, Chicago Police Department, Morton Grove, Ill. Police Department, and Berwyn, Ill. Police Department.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cornelius A. Vandenberg and Simar Khera.

    “Combating the unacceptable level of gang violence in the Chicago area has been and will continue to be a top priority in our Office,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.  “As I mark my first 30 days as the United States Attorney, I want to emphasize that we are using every available federal law enforcement tool to bring impactful cases that hold violent gang members accountable and reduce violent crime.”

    “The FBI is committed to eradicating neighborhood street gangs and the violence unleashed in our communities,” said FBI Chicago SAC DePodesta.  “This investigation is just one of many cases worked by FBI Chicago’s Violent Crime Task Force along with our dedicated Task Force Officers (TFOs) and local law enforcement partners.  We remain united in using all available resources to ensure that groups like these can no longer harm Chicago’s residents.”

    The second superseding indictment in this case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

    The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Vital support for victims in £20 million funding boost

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Vital support for victims in £20 million funding boost

    Thousands more victims to access life-saving support through a £19.9 million investment in specialist services.

    Minister Jess Phillips on a visit to Refuge, a charity supporting victims of domestic abuse

    Thousands more victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, ‘honour’-based abuse and stalking will have access to specialist support services thanks to a boost of nearly £20 million announced by the Safeguarding Minister today.

    Part of this funding will go towards backing helplines which can offer potentially life-saving support for survivors of abuse. Victims can find these experiences incredibly hard to talk about and contacting helplines for advice is often the first critical step in their journey to escape abuse, access vital support and eventually seek justice.

    To help more victims access support at the most vulnerable moments in their lives, a range of helplines supporting victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, ‘honour’-based abuse and stalking will benefit from £6 million in investment this year – an increase of around a fifth compared to the previous year.

    This investment is designed to reach as many different communities as possible and will bolster a range of vital specialist services in England and Wales supporting victims and survivors who face unique and challenging circumstances.

    Nine helplines across 8 charities, including: Refuge who run the National Domestic Abuse helpline; Hourglass, a charity supporting older victims; SignHealth who support victims who are Deaf; Galop; The Suzy Lamplugh Trust; Karma Nirvana; and Respect will receive funding to continue providing vital helpline services to victims, recruit more staff and support more victims escaping abuse.

    Minister for Safeguarding and Violence against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips said:

    No victim should ever feel abandoned when trying to escape abuse. But the harsh reality is that too many do – especially those from marginalised communities who face significant additional hurdles.

    Last week, I met survivors who felt the system wasn’t built for people like them. I hope this funding will change that. It’s about smashing down barriers and making sure every single person facing abuse has somewhere to turn when they make the brave decision to seek help.

    The funding package announced today also includes £5.3 million for services supporting children affected by domestic abuse, who are often the hidden victims of this devastating crime, to support them through one-to-one and group counselling, classroom-based assistance and help for their non-abusive parents across 8 specialist services nationwide.

    Charity Southall Black Sisters will receive £2.4 million to support migrant victims of abuse who are not able to access public funds.

    And to give victims direct access to financial support to escape abusive relationships, a wide range of specialist domestic abuse services will receive around £2 million through the Women’s Aid Flexible Fund. Through the fund, organisations across England and Wales, including Welsh Women’s Aid, will give payments of up to £500 to help victims secure safety and one-off payments of up to £2,500 for deposits for rental accommodation to help secure sustainable and independent futures.

    This is underscored by £2.5 million for projects to help prevent and improve the response to violence and abuse against women and girls, raise awareness of these issues and protect victims who are at risk.

    The government was elected on a mission to make our streets safer for everyone as part of the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.

    Today’s announcement marks a vital step in our pledge to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, ensuring victims of these appalling crimes have somewhere to turn and the support they need to recover from abuse.  

    Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Dame Nicole Jacobs, said:

    Whether fearing for their lives or growing up in a home filled with stress and anxiety, victims should feel confident that support will be there to help them recover, but sadly too often this isn’t the case. 

    This funding for struggling specialist domestic abuse services, especially those supporting children, will bring much needed relief to survivors and services, who have been doing all they can to ensure help is there for people during one of their most vulnerable moments in life.

    Tackling domestic abuse requires drive, ambition and political will. I look forward to seeing how the government’s forthcoming violence against women and girls’ strategy builds on this investment by ensuring every victim and survivor gets what they need – exactly when they need it – so they can recover from abuse.

    Last week, the Minister for Safeguarding visited Refuge’s headquarters to meet with charity leaders and victims and discuss the unique challenges facing vulnerable individuals and harder to reach communities when they seek help. She also saw the National Domestic Abuse helpline in action and spoke to call handlers about the vital work they do.

    CEO of Refuge, Gemma Sherrington said:  

    The National Domestic Abuse Helpline, operated by Refuge, offers a lifeline for thousands of survivors every year. Open 7 days a week and 365 days a year, the support given by the helpline often represents the first step towards a life free from abuse and fear.  

    We are incredibly grateful for this much-needed funding boost, which will sustain this vital service for the coming year. Rather than covering the running costs of the helpline, our fundraised resources can now be directed towards supporting survivors, while bringing us one step closer to a world where domestic abuse is not tolerated.  

    The funding will also allow us to extend our live chat hours and make accessibility improvements to the helpline website, meaning we can reach more survivors than ever before.

    Esther*, a survivor of domestic abuse supported by Refuge, said:

    Funding for domestic abuse services is not only vital but absolutely necessary. Domestic abuse, in all its shapes, is still very much a problem and I’m hearing more and more tragic stories than ever before. Funding is needed for not only the aftercare for victims/survivors but also for the services that provide advice and support for people that are fleeing abuse.

    The transition from deciding to leave and actually leaving is one of the scariest experiences and it’s important that support and guidance is on hand. I know for certain that without help from these services, my story would have ended very differently, and I would not be here to talk at all. They gave me the courage and opportunity to live and smile again. I will always be forever grateful.

    Alongside Raneem’s Law, with domestic abuse specialists embedded in the first 999 control rooms across the country, this £19.9 million investment will help ensure that wherever victims of these crimes reach out for help – whether to police or charities – they will receive a specialist response tailored to their needs.

    This announcement follows a £13.1 million investment in a new policing centre to tackle violence against women and girls and enable police to better target these crimes, an uplift of nearly £2 million.

    Nikita Kanda, broadcaster and Refuge ambassador, said:

    I welcome today’s announcement of almost £20 million in funding for a range of vital and specialist services including Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse helpline. With this investment we will be able to strengthen our commitment to support all communities and empower those enduring domestic violence.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –