PARENTS OF ABDUCTED CHILDREN SAY CONGRESS MUST ACT IN HONOR OF BROOKE BENNETT

One in three child pornography arrests leads to evidence of a local child victim yet less than 2 percent of leads are investigated!

July 1, 2008 – The Surviving Parents Coalition (SPC), a group of parents of children who were abducted, sexually assaulted, murdered, recovered or are still missing release the following statement in response to the discovery of the remains of 12 year-old Brooke Bennett of Vermont.

"The Surviving Parents Coalition grieves for Brooke Bennett and our hearts are with her family.  The tragedy of her situation illustrates the reality so many child victims are suffering; the most likely perpetrators are close family or friends and so often these crimes are precipitated by the exchange of child pornography.  The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces have the technology to interdict these crimes before they escalate to abduction and murder. Sadly, Brooke's murder serves as a solemn reminder to Congress that every day they wait to vote on giving the ICAC the resources they need, is another day a child victim has to wait for rescue.  We have been fighting for this bill for a year in the hope that not one more child would suffer needlessly as ours did.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, we implore you to put S.1738, The Combating Child Exploitation Act, on the floor for a vote - not one more child, not one more day."

Title: A bill to establish oversight and coordination among local, state and federal law enforcement for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction within the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, to improve the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, to increase resources for regional computer forensic labs, and to make other improvements to increase the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute predators. For more information please visit: www.notonemorechild.org.

The SPC is comprised of sixteen parents of children who were kidnapped, sexually assaulted, murdered or are still missing.  The SPC is dedicated to the prevention of sexual assault and abduction through prevention education and legislative advocacy.  For more information please visit: www.survivingparentscoalition.org

Members:  Magi and John Bish, Sharon Brooks, Rosemarie D’Allesandro, Rebecca DeMauro, Michelle Duffey, Karen Foster, Mary Kozakiewicz, Mika Moulton, Colleen Nick, Ahmad Rivazfar, Erin Runnion, Mark and Cindy Sconce, Ed Smart, Missey and Greg Smith and Linda Walker

In honor of the suffering of our children:
Molly Bish, Tamara Brooks, Joan D’Alessandro, Andi Brewer, Miranda Gaddis, Bonnie Craig, Alicia Kozakiewicz, Christopher Meyer, Morgan Nick, Sara and Sayeh Rivazfar, Samantha Runnion, Courtney Sconce, Elizabeth Smart, Kelsey Smith, Dru Sjodin and countless other victims of sexually violent predators