ICE seeks the public's help to identify 'John Doe' child predator

UPDATE: The "John Doe" in this news release from March 18 requesting the public’s help was identified, located and arrested within 30 hours of the announcement.

Homeland Security Investigations sincerely appreciates the public’s and media’s help with this predator investigation.

Since the individual who was identified is a juvenile, no further details are available at this time. ICE seeks the public's help to identify 'John Doe' child predator
Unknown suspect and 2-year-old girl victim may live in Dallas-Fort Worth area, or they may have visited the area around April 2013

DALLAS – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is seeking the public’s help to identify a suspected child pornography producer, and rescue at least one child victim.

HSI special agents investigating this case believe "John Doe," a young adult male between 18 and 20 years old, produced child pornography in which he photographed himself engaging in sexual contact with an African American baby girl 12 to 18 months old. Today the girl may be about 2 to 2 1/2 years old.

Based on investigative clues in the photos, HSI special agents believe that this person may now live in, or had visited, north Texas at the time these photos were taken sometime in April 2013. The ball cap’s logo, "Shut Up N Play," was new at the time, and they had not yet been released for sale. However, there had been very limited distribution within north Texas when these photos were taken.

HSI Dallas investigators were unable to identify the suspect using traditional investigative means and request the public’s assistance.

In addition to public appeals, HSI Dallas has distributed the "John Doe" information and photos to fellow law enforcement agencies, and to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, in a unified effort to find this predator and rescue the child.

If you think you recognize this person, please contact HSI toll free at 1-866-347-2423. You can also email your tip by completing HSI’s online tip form.

All tips will remain confidential. Members of the public should not attempt to apprehend the suspect personally.

This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 10,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2013, more than 2,000 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI's Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.

HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.