LiveWire

Justin Gaertner of Tampa, Fla. is part of the HERO Corps pilot class.

The H.E.R.O. Corps program is a privately funded endeavor which hires and trains wounded veterans to detect online child pornographers. The Department of Homeland Security has now launched a pilot program using H.E.R.O.s (Human Exploitation Rescue Operative) to assist in criminal investigations into child pornography and online child sexual exploitation. The first group of H.E.R.O.s was sworn in on Friday.

Vets join fight to find, capture child predators

“The goal of this initiative is to give our nation’s military veterans a chance to continue to serve at home for a righteous cause,” said acting Homeland Security Secretary Rand Beers. “Through this program, they are trained to fight on a new battlefield to protect the innocence of children at home and around the world.”

Homeland Security officials expect to train a second class early next year and said they are looking for more veterans to sign up.

The ICE program is funded by a five-year $10 million private sector initiative that underwrites training, logistics and equipment. After volunteers are trained for 11 weeks in computer forensics they are sent to federal investigative offices throughout the country.

“This innovative partnership between government, military and the private sector is exactly what taxpayers wish for and deserve,” said Grier Weeks, executive director of the National Association to Protect Children. “HSI is making child rescue a national priority, and I believe that mission will gain new momentum now that one of our early HERO planning partners, John Sandweg, is acting director of ICE.”

I thought this was more the FBI’s jurisdiction with DHS focusing on other threats. Nevertheless, with guys like these (please watch video) on the job, it doesn’t matter what it says on the office door. They are HEROs in every respect.