Department of Homeland Security

Privacy Impact Assessment for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Child Exploitation Tracking System Department of Homeland Security

Publisher Marketing: ICE-CETS is owned and managed by the Child Exploitation Section within the ICE Office of Investigations, Cyber Crimes Center. The ICE-CETS database contains investigative information related to Internet-facilitated child sexual exploitation crimes, to include but not limited to the possession, distribution and manufacturing of child exploitation images and videos (i.e., child pornography) and child sex tourism. The primary purpose of the system is to consolidate tips related to these crimes into a single database; to track, link, and disambiguate the tips; and to prioritize and refer them to ICE agents for investigation. ICE-CETS is not a case management system for these investigations, but is a repository and tool that facilitates the efficient use of investigative resources by ensuring related tips are identified and assigned for proper follow up. ICE-CETS stores tips related to Internet-facilitated child sexual exploitation crimes, such as a website containing child sexual exploitation material. These tips usually consist of Internet-related data that is somehow connected to the crime, which law enforcement may be able use to identify persons involved in the criminal activity and/or to connect related crimes. An example would be a list of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses from a server that contained images of child exploitation. Currently ICE receives thousands of tips from international and domestic law enforcement sources and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Examples of such sources include ICE domestic and foreign field offices, the public (through the DHS public tip line), local law enforcement agencies, foreign law enforcement agencies, INTERPOL, and NGOs involved in preventing and detecting child sexual exploitation.