Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

The FBI is seeking the public’s assistance with obtaining identifying information regarding an unknown male who may have critical information pertaining to the identity of a child victim in an ongoing sexual exploitation investigation. Photographs and an informational poster depicting the unknown individual, known only as John Doe 44, are being disseminated to the public and can be found online.

Initial video of the unidentified male, John Doe 44, shown with a child, was first recorded by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in February 2021. The EXIF data embedded within the video files indicated that the files were produced prior to November 2018.

John Doe 44 is described as a white male with light brown hair and wearing a navy blue t-shirt. He is heard speaking English in the video. Due to the age of the images, it is possible that the individual’s appearance may have changed over the years.

Anyone with information to provide should submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov, or call the FBI’s toll-free tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). The public is reminded no charges have been filed in this case, and the pictured individual is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

This individual is being sought as part of the FBI’s Operation Rescue Me and Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP) initiatives, both of which represent strategic partnerships between the FBI and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Operation Rescue Me focuses on using clues obtained through in-depth image analysis to identify the child victims depicted in child exploitation material, while ECAP seeks national and international media exposure of unknown adults (referred to as John/Jane Does) who visibly display their faces and/or other distinguishing characteristics in association with child pornography images.