State to Tackle Backlog of Child Exploitation “Cyber Tips”

For years, the team at the Oregon Department of Justice handling such tips has been overwhelmed.

Lampost, Rocky Butte. (Brian Burk)
By Lucas Manfield

Oregon lawmakers directed an additional $2.7 million this month to a state task force that investigates child exploitation online.

When Google, Facebook or TikTok find child pornography being distributed on their platforms, they report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. NCMEC then sends it to state task forces to investigate. Here, that task force is run by the Oregon Department of Justice. And for years, the team at DOJ handling such “cyber tips” has been overwhelmed.

Last year, the five-member team reviewed nearly 10,000 tips. Washington state, which receives a similar number of tips, has a team of 25. The result, as you’d expect, is a backlog in Oregon. Tips sit around for three months before investigators even pick them up.

Previous requests for funding were ignored by legislators, but Salem has now taken notice. The allocation will be used to nearly quadruple the size of the team, as well as train local law enforcement how to assist with investigations.

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