Watchdog says FBI bungled child sexual abuse investigations

The FBI has continued to mishandle cases of child sexual abuse even after implementing reforms in the wake of its highly criticized handling of the Larry Nassar case, according to a report released Thursday by the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

The FBI promised to do better after it botched assault allegations against former USA Olympics gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, but the watchdog report says the agency continues to fall short.

The report, pubished by DOJ Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz, reveals that despite the FBI’s promises to improve its handling of such sensitive cases, significant issues persist.

In one case identified in the report, FBI agents failed to follow up on an allegation involving abuse against a minor by a registered sex offender, which led to the transgressor victimizing at least one additional minor “for a period of approximately 15 months,” the report said.

“After we raised this incident to the FBI’s attention, the FBI took appropriate action, and the subject was indicted on federal charges,” said Horowitz.

The report described significant problems regarding FBI agents’ duty to immediately report sexual abuse allegations involving children to law enforcement agencies with jurisdiction.

The findings stem from a 16-month audit, during which the OIG reviewed 327 incidents out of nearly 4,000 child sexual abuse cases opened by the FBI between October 2021 and February 2023.

The audit flagged 42 cases, about 13% of those reviewed, for “immediate attention” by the FBI.

Among the concerns raised were cases where investigative activity had stalled, leads were not properly followed up on, and referrals to appropriate agencies were not made.

The report also highlighted the FBI’s failure to comply with mandatory reporting requirements. The OIG found no evidence that the FBI notified state and local law enforcement in 47% of the cases reviewed, and in 50% of cases, there was no evidence of reports made to social services agencies.

Furthermore, 40% of the cases lacked documentation showing that the FBI responded within 24 hours as required by its policies.

Both FBI and DOJ policy require the FBI to identify eligible victims and provide them information about available victim services and case status updates. For 36 percent of the eligible victims identified during our review, we found no evidence that they received appropriate services or updates.

The audit also identified a significant strain on FBI resources, with agents handling high caseloads that risked cases “falling through the cracks.” Despite an increase in the number of sexual abuse tips, the FBI denied requests from multiple field offices for additional agents to handle these cases.

In response to the report, the FBI acknowledged the need for further action to ensure the effectiveness of its corrective measures. However, the bureau argued that many of the issues flagged by the OIG were related to documentation rather than actual investigative failures. The FBI reiterated its commitment to protecting children, describing it as a “solemn duty.”

This report is expected to increase scrutiny of the FBI’s leadership, particularly Director Christopher Wray, who previously apologized for the bureau’s failures in the Nassar case. Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin announced plans to hold a hearing with the FBI to address the ongoing issues highlighted in the report.

The Nassar case, which led to the conviction and sentencing of the former USA Gymnastics team doctor for multiple counts of sexual assault and child pornography, remains a significant blemish on the FBI’s record. The bureau’s continued struggles to properly handle similar cases have prompted renewed criticism and concern for the safety and protection of vulnerable children.