Warren Raises Alarm on Crypto’s Role in Child Sexual Abuse in Letter to DOJ
Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bill Cassidy have expressed their concerns about the increasing use of crypto in the illegal trade of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
The duo shared their concerns in a joint letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. In addition, the senators are calling on the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to take decisive action in combating this illicit trade and the role that cryptocurrency plays in facilitating it.
Key points:
- Senators Warren and Cassidy emphasize how cryptocurrency’s “pseudonymity” is a key component that makes CSAM payments possible.
- A January 2024 report by Chainalysis found that “cryptocurrency-based sales of CSAM are a growing problem.”
- One expert noted that “virtual currency is the dominant choice for buyers and sellers of commercial child sexual abuse content.”
- The senators urge the DOJ and DHS to provide answers to several questions by May 10, 2024.
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The senators underscore that cryptocurrency’s pseudonymity has facilitated the swift transition of CSAM payments into the digital asset space. They have also stressed that this has increased the difficulty for law enforcement agencies to track and prosecute perpetrators.
Warren cited a Chainalysis crypto report
They cite a January 2024 report by Chainalysis, a blockchain analytics firm, which found that “cryptocurrency-based sales of CSAM are a growing problem,” with an alarming 95% of these reports specifically mentioning CSAM.
Senators Warren and Cassidy acknowledge that the DOJ and DHS have a history of dealing with cases involving cryptocurrency and CSAM. They highlight the Attorney General’s Cyber-Digital Task Force’s findings in 2020.
The findings revealed that criminals are using cryptocurrency, “often in large amounts and transferred across international borders, as a new means to fund criminal conduct, including child exploitation.”
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They also seek assurances from the DOJ and DHS that Congress and the administration are doing their part to address these challenges.
Senators Warren and Cassidy have also requested answers to several key questions by May 10, 2024. The senators also inquired about the steps being taken by the DOJ and DHS to identify and prosecute CSAM crimes involving cryptocurrency.
