Innocent Justice Foundation to Shut After DOJ Cuts Grant as AI Abuse Reports Hit 1.5 Million
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 23
Innocent Justice Foundation to Shut After DOJ Cuts Grant as AI Abuse Reports Hit 1.5 Million
1 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 23
Summary
The Innocent Justice Foundation is winding down after the Justice Department pulled the officer-wellness grant that had sustained its training for child-abuse investigators since about 2008.
That loss lands as AI-generated child sexual abuse reports tied to the US surged from 4,700 in 2023 to 1.5 million in 2025, sharply increasing caseloads and forcing investigators to treat dubious images as potential real-child emergencies.
Just $400,000 in federal wellness funding was allocated for the 61 Internet Crimes Against Children task forces—less than 1% of the program’s nearly $41 million annual budget—even as those units helped conduct more than 1 million investigations over five years.
Investigators interviewed described flashbacks, anxiety, family strain and suicidal thoughts, while some task forces said flat budgets leave them choosing between mental-health support and essentials such as staffing, training and forensic tools.
The DOJ said child protection remains a priority and cited nearly 3,000 predator and trafficking arrests since January 2025, but the foundation warned its closure will leave gaps in a patchwork support system.