Remarks as delivered 

First and foremost, to the Department of Justice under General Bondi's leadership and all its components—because of your courage, we are here today protecting our most vulnerable: our children. Thank you, General Bondi. Thank you to so many of your colleagues here today that do this work tirelessly day in and day out and never get a moment's thanks. We should acknowledge all of them today.

As the FBI Director, I'm humbled to lead some of the bravest men and women in law enforcement, and I want to thank our 55 field offices, our 90 plus United States attorney's offices, our CEOS section, our Crim Division here at the Department of Justice, and our field offices throughout the country with lawyers and prosecutors and agents working tirelessly on some of the harshest criminality we've ever seen. They don't take breaks because our children deserve a free and open society.

i also want to take a moment to emphasize the priority of this Department of Justice and this FBI: our children. If you harm our children, you will be given no sanctuary. There is no place we will not come to hunt you down. There is no place we will not look for you. And there is no cage we will not put you in should you do harm to our children. The prioritization of this administration and General Bondi has made it abundantly clear to child predators: You will be hunted down, and you will be prosecuted. And that is a refreshing thing to hear for the men and women who do this work tirelessly. And it's also an acknowledgment of the safety that we look forward to bringing America.

As the attorney general mentioned, there are a couple of cases worth highlighting. People in places of public trust have violated not only the law but the public trust—to include teachers, law enforcement personnel, and other professionals that we look to safeguard our children. Have not only violated the law but violated the trust. In Minneapolis, defendant Jeremy Francis Plonski, a Minneapolis state trooper and former Army reservist, was arrested for producing child sexual abuse material while in uniform. Not anymore. In Norfolk, Virginia, defendant Jose Alexis Valdez Sosa, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, again allegedly arrested for transporting a minor across state lines. No more. Another example right here in Washington, D.C., in the Metropolitan Police Department: Office Linwood Barnhill, a former already convicted sex offender, was arrested again for exploiting more victims—more children—while on supervised release.

These are just three examples that show you the extent and the depravity of these horrific crimes. And we need to team up together with the American public to find the rest. I want to give a special thanks to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for the tireless work they do in partnering with us. And again, I want to thank the Department of Justice and all these folks here. And Pam, thank you for never wavering to defend our children.