The FBI has not been reporting all suspected cases of child sexual abuse to the appropriate law enforcement agencies despite changes made following its handling of the case involving former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, as per a report released by the Justice Department watchdog. The review, conducted on over 300 cases between 2021 and 2023, revealed that the FBI did not comply with mandatory reporting requirements to local law enforcement about 50 percent of the time. Additionally, the FBI only managed to make a report within the required 24-hour period in 43 percent of the cases.
One particular case highlighted in the report showed the FBI failing to take appropriate investigative action for over a year after receiving an abuse allegation against a registered sex offender. During this time, the offender was accused of abusing at least one other person over 15 months while the FBI did not intervene effectively. These findings stemmed from the FBI’s delayed investigation into Larry Nassar and identified numerous issues regarding the agency’s handling of child sex crime allegations.
Despite admitting to mistakes in investigating crimes against children, a senior FBI official emphasized that the majority of their work has been conducted correctly. The FBI asserted its commitment to ensuring the safety of children, calling it a solemn duty fulfilled with the highest standards. The agency outlined its ongoing efforts to enhance policies and processes to improve its mission of combating crimes involving children.
The FBI official cited an “overwhelming” burden on agents dealing with child abuse investigations due to the nature of the crimes, a surge in tips received by law enforcement, the increased use of encrypted technology to conceal offenses, and budget constraints. This recent report comes after a previous Justice Department inspector general’s investigation into the FBI’s handling of sexual abuse allegations against Larry Nassar. The inquiry concluded that the FBI’s delays in investigating Nassar’s case allowed him to continue victimizing individuals for months before his arrest in 2016.
