The Federal Bureau of Investigation is seeking the public’s assistance with obtaining identifying information regarding an unknown man suspected of sexually exploiting a child.
Photographs and informational posters depicting the unknown individual, known only as John Doe 28, are being disseminated to the public and can be found online at fbi.gov/wanted/ecap.
Initial images and video of the unidentified man, John Doe 28, engaging in sexually explicit activities with a child were first recorded by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in November 2012. Investigators for the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children have successfully enhanced images depicting John Doe 28 and believe they contain several clues, which may assist with the identification of the subject.
For example, the video depicts the subject and the victim inside a residence with what appears to be a blue sofa chair and a picture hanging on a wall in the background. Additionally, the subject is wearing wire-framed glasses and a burgundy T-shirt with what appears to be a shark logo on his left side. The suspect appears to be a Caucasian man, possibly in his 30s or 40s, with a receding hairline and wears glasses.
“Cases involving the sexual abuse of children are shocking to the conscience. When clues like this emerge, we need to band together as a community and a nation to identify the suspect and contact the FBI with tips,” said Honolulu FBI Special Agent Tom Simon. “The photos of this suspect provide some concrete clues. The face, the T-shirt, the green wall, the blue chair, and the painting hopefully will identify him so we can seek criminal charges and stop him from hurting more kids.”
There are no specific details linking the suspect to Hawaii or any particular state or region of the United States, and both his identity and whereabouts are currently unknown.
“Enhancing photos of child sex abusers has been a great tool to identify and capture suspects in these troubling cases. While we don’t know that this suspect is in Hawaii, the fact is that he has to be somewhere. As such, we are asking people to share his photos on social media so we can get some meaningful tips,” Simon said. “Social media can act as a force multiplier for the FBI when we are seeking tips on a big case. Facebook and Twitter are catching way more criminals these days than pictures on the post office wall.”
Anyone with information to provide should submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov or call the FBI’s toll-free tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). The public is reminded no charges have been filed in this case and the pictured individual is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
This individual is being sought as part of the FBI’s Operation Rescue Me and Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP) initiatives, both of which represent strategic partnerships between the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Operation Rescue Me focuses on utilizing clues obtained through in-depth image analysis to identify the child victims depicted in child exploitation material, while ECAP seeks national and international media exposure of unknown adults (referred to as John/Jane Doe) who visibly display their faces and/or other distinguishing characteristics in association with child pornography images.
