IINI undercover operations are being conducted in several FBI field offices by task forces that combine the resources of the FBI with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.  Each of the FBI’s 56 field offices has worked investigations developed by the IINI.  International investigations are coordinated through the FBI’s Legal Attaché program, which coordinates investigations with the appropriate foreign law enforcement.  IINI investigations are also coordinated with Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces, which are funded by the Department of Justice.  Furthermore, IINI training is provided to all law enforcement involved in these investigations, including federal, state, local, and foreign law enforcement agencies.
During the early stages of Innocent Images, a substantial amount of time was spent conducting investigations on commercial online service providers that provide numerous easily accessible “chat rooms” in which teenagers and pre-teens can meet and converse with each other.  By using chat rooms, children can chat for hours with unknown individuals, often without the knowledge or approval of their parents.  The FBI claims that their investigations revealed that computer-sex offenders utilized the chat rooms to contact children as a child does not know whether he or she is chatting with a 14-year-old or a 40-year-old.  They further claim that “Chat rooms offer the advantage of immediate communication around the world and provide the pedophile with an anonymous means of identifying and recruiting children into sexually illicit relationships.”
Innocent Images has expanded to include investigations involving all areas of the Internet and online services including:
•    Internet websites that post child pornography
•    Internet News Groups
•    Internet Relay Chat (IRC) ChannelsFile Servers (“FServes”)
•    Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs)
•    Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file-sharing programs
FBI Agents and task force officers go online undercover into predicated locations utilizing fictitious screen names and engaging in real-time chat or E-mail conversations with subjects to obtain evidence of criminal activity.  Investigation of specific online locations can be initiated through:
•    A citizen complaint
•    A complaint by an online service provider
•    A referral from a law enforcement agency
•    The name of the online location (such as a chat room) can suggest illicit activity
The most common crimes investigated under the IINI are in violation of Title 18 United States Code (USC):
§ 1462.  Importation or Transportation of Obscene Matters
§ 1465.  Transportation of Obscene Matters for Sale or Distribution
§ 1466.  Engaging in the Business of Selling or Transferring Obscene Matter
§ 1467.  Criminal Forfeiture
§ 1470.  Transfer of Obscene Material to Minors
§ 2241(a)(b)(c).  Aggravated Sexual Abuse
§ 2251(a)(b)(c).  Sexual Exploitation of Children
§ 2251A(a)(b).  Selling or Buying of Children
§ 2252.  Certain Activities Relating to Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors
§ 2252A.  Certain Activities Relating to Material Constituting or Containing Child Pornography
§ 2253.  Criminal Forfeiture
§ 2254.  Civil Forfeiture
§ 2257.  Record Keeping Requirements
§ 2260(a)(b).  Production of Sexually Explicit Depictions of a Minor for Importation into the U.S.
§ 2421.  Transportation Generally
§ 2422.  Coercion and Enticement
§ 2423(a).  Transportation of Minors with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity
§ 2423(b).  Interstate or Foreign Travel with Intent to Engage in a Sexual Act with a Juvenile
§ 2425.  Use of Interstate Facilities to Transmit Information about a Minor
§ 13032.  Reporting of Child Pornography by Electronic Communication Service Providers
The FBI continues to take the necessary steps to ensure that the Innocent Images National Initiative remains viable and productive through the use of new technology and sophisticated investigative techniques, coordination of the national investigative strategy and a national liaison initiative with a significant number of commercial and independent online service providers.  The Innocent Images National Initiative has been highly successful for the law enforcement.  It has proven to be a logical, efficient and effective method for the Government to identify and investigate individuals who are alleged to be using the Internet for the purpose of sexually exploiting children.
NEW INNOCENT IMAGES INITIATIVES:
Endangered Child Alert Program:  On 02/21/2004 the FBI began its Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP), a new and aggressive approach to identify unknown individuals involved in the sexual abuse of children and production of child pornography.  The ECAP uses national and international media exposure of unknown adults featured in child pornography and displays their face on the “Seeking Information” section of the FBI’s website at www.fbi.gov/mostwant/seekinfo/seekcac.htm in hopes someone can identify them.  Their face will eventually be broadcast on the television show America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back if the unknown child pornography subject is not identified from the website.  Of particular significance in these cases was that for the first time, the Innocent Images program obtained “John Doe” arrest warrants based solely on images acquired through undercover investigations.  It is believed that national and international exposure will lead to rapid identifications and arrests of persons involved in child pornography and sexual abuse of minors.  This new method is intended to aggressively pursue and thwart individuals who would abuse or harm our nation’s children.
To date, the ECAP has successfully identified and arrested three previously-unknown child pornography subjects.  These investigations have led to the identification and arrest of two additional child pornography subjects and the identification of at least thirty child victims.
OPERATION “PEER PRESSURE”:  In November 2003, the FBI initiated Phase I of “Operation Peer Pressure” a nationwide initiative to target users of Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks to collect and distribute child pornography.  (P2P) networks are free file-sharing programs that allow users to find and exchange files from other users with the same Internet software.  Once a user installs a P2P software application, they can directly access and search for files in designated folders on other user’s computers.  During this phase, the FBI conducted 166 online sessions in which undercover FBI Agents download child pornography from offender’s computers.  These sessions resulted in the identification of 106 subjects located throughout the U.S.  Using this evidence gathered during the undercover operation, Agents obtained search warrants for subjects’ residences where computers and other contraband were seized.  41 of the FBI’s 56 field offices were involved in this first phase of operation “Peer Pressure”.  Additional phases are ongoing.  As of 01/04/2006, over 300 searches were executed, 69 subjects were indicted, 63 subjects were arrested, and over 40 convictions have been achieved.