By Jad Saliba, Founder & CTO of Magnet Forensics
It’s not an issue many like to talk about, or perhaps even know about. But child sex slavery is one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises in the world. A perverse industry that preys on the poor, especially in economically disadvantaged countries, this kind of exploitation is booming in places like Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It’s fuelled by rich tourists from North America, Europe and other privileged nations, who know they can buy underage sex while on vacation, and they aren’t afraid to do it.
As a former law enforcement officer and digital forensics examiner, I’ve assisted on many child exploitation investigations and have been exposed to the heinous crimes that happen every day against children. My hat goes off to all those still in the trenches today, fighting this very difficult and very important fight. It never gets any easier, but I’ve been able to deal with the terrible things I’ve seen by trying to make a difference where I can. It’s also a big reason why I left my job in local law enforcement to develop Internet Evidence Finder full-time as the founder and CTO of Magnet Forensics. If I could help law enforcement professionals around the world potentially save thousands of children from exploitation and slavery, I had to do it.
