The FBI failed to report all child sexual abuse cases to the proper law enforcement agencies, the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) said in a report released Thursday.
The report reviewed more than 300 incidents between 2021 and 2023 of a “hands-on sex offense against a child or a similar offense.”
The report found that the FBI only complied with its mandatory reporting requirements to local law enforcement about 50 percent of the time, and that when it did make a report, only 43 percent of cases were reported within the FBI’s required 24-hour period.
The FBI was required to make changes in how it handled such cases after former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar was convicted of abusing dozens of athletes, including stars of the U.S. Olympic team.
“Since the time of the FBI’s handling of the child sexual abuse allegations of Lawrence Gerard Nasar, the FBI implemented a new tips management system with additional controls for active and ongoing abuse allegations,” the report said. “However, we found the FBI did not document and process all allegations in its new system.”
The report also found victim services were not offered to all eligible people. Under FBI and DOJ policy, eligible victims must be identified and provided information about services available to them. Thirty-six percent of people eligible in the review were not provided appropriate services or case status updates.
The FBI largely complied with its forensic in-person interviews with minors, OIG’s press release said.
One of the issues facing the agency may be lack of available resources, OIG said.
The FBI’s program with high caseloads can affect an agent’s ability to immediately respond to the incoming allegations. The number of allegations being reported has increased in recent years and FBI officials say resources are a “significant challenge” for the program.
OIG said the FBI said additional training is needed to improve the current non-compliance rate with the established FBI policies and procedures.
The watchdog made 11 recommendations. The FBI agreed with those recommendations, the report said, and has already taken correction action efforts on two of them.
The Hill has reached out to the FBI for comment. A senior official told The Associated Press that the bureau has make mistakes but the “vast majority of work” has been handled appropriately.
The official said it’s a “no-fail mission” to ensure the safety and security of children. It’s one that the FBI said it is “committed to fulfilling with the highest standards.”
