It has been my honor to serve as Executive Director for the National Law Center for Children and Families. In the past three years, I have learned a great deal.  I have met over 700 law enforcement professionals at NLC Protects seminars, I have presented NLC Child Defender of the Month Awards to deserving individuals across the country, and I have read recent studies showing that 1 in 7 children on-line receive a sexual solicitation.  Throughout my tenure, news segments and reality television shows have raised the public's attention regarding the threat of sex offenders in the community.

  Televised sting operation meetings between supposed 14-year old children and older men have resulted in high ratings and sensational viewing.  While these shows have raised the awareness of some parents of the potential hazards of the Internet for their children, the criminal law aspects of these cases have been called into question in some jurisdictions.

  Naturally, these shows and current statistics have alarmed parents, law enforcement, and policy makers, and these groups have joined together to demand action. As Executive Director, I monitor responses and trends across the nation involving child sexual exploitation crimes in the law enforcement and legal arenas.  As a result, I read cases and news reports involving some very gruesome crimes.

  People frequently ask me why our organization is so deeply involved in the fight against child sexual exploitation.  Oftentimes, people also ask why I am personally involved.  I would like to share some of my thoughts in response to those questions.

  It is my hope that the NLC can play a small, but important, role in defending children and families. However, in my opinion, putting a person who wants to have sex with a 14-year old on national television seems to be more akin to some sort of strange entertainment than really addressing the protection of our kids.  The NLC is more interested in helping the real defenders of our local communities-law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and child advocates.

  Who are these defenders?  They are the cops chatting on-line with people who want to have sex with 11-year old children.  They are the cops who then go out and arrest these predators before they have the opportunity to harm another child.  These defenders are the prosecutors who put hours of effort into defeating the latest defense lawyer arguments and ensuring the maximum sentence for offenders.  They are the computer forensics technicians who pore over the electronic equivalent of a giant haystack to find evidence of the molester who recorded sexual acts performed on a toddler.  Finally, they are the child advocates who work directly with children to provide a safe environment and a better future.  These individuals, and their colleagues in the greater law enforcement community, are the true defenders of children and families. 

  Recently, I traveled across the country to present the NLC Child Defender of the Month Award to a group of officers. The group was humble and appreciative, but I observed an overwhelming amount of fatigue in most of the officers.  I later learned that these officers had been involved in the arrest of a child pornographer the night before-their work did not end until 5 a.m., only a few hours before the ceremony.  As I drove to my next appointment, I did not complain about being jet lagged or the time spent away from my home and the office.

  The officers I honored that day are true defenders, and I can tell you that their story is not unique and their efforts are not unusual for those who work to defend children everyday.  Stories of long nights, lengthy investigations and prosecutions, and teamwork are repeated across the nation on a daily basis.

  On the one hand, the repetition of these heroic efforts is an indication that sex offenders and those who prey on children are a wide spread pandemic.  That alarm is justified and we, as parents and citizens, must remain vigilant. 

  However, the proactive actions of the law enforcement community nationwide are proof that protecting children is a high priority, regardless of jurisdiction.  In my opinion, these law enforcement officers, child advocates, and prosecutors are heroes.  I believe that they should be thanked for their efforts, as they most often work in anonymity and not for glory. 

  I admit that we at the NLC are removed from this frontline. We do not process computer hard drives; we do not present arguments to a jury; and we do not listen as child victims recall their experience at the hands of a predator.  We do, however, aim to provide the heroes on the frontline some of the tools needed to really catch a sexual predator and make our communities safer.

  To these officers, prosecutors, and child advocates:  Thank you for your work each and every day.  Please keep on defending our children, families, and communities.  And, finally, know that the NLC will support your efforts to bring justice to those who violate the innocence of childhood.

  The NLC works to serve heroes and defend children.  Being able to serve in some small part in that work is why I am honored to be Executive Director of the NLC.

Richard Whidden, NLC Executive Director 

 {Originally published in the Fall 2007 edition of the NLC Enforcer Newsletter}