* UPDATE *
On Thursday morning, the Public Affairs Specialist at the FBI New Orleans office alerted the media of the following, “John Doe 44 has been identified and located. He is currently in custody. We appreciate the assistance from both the media and the public. No further publicity is needed at this time.”
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KTAL/KSHV) – The Federal Bureau of Investigation has reached out to Louisiana media outlets to help them identify a man they believe to be a child predator and his victim.
In February, the initial video showing the unidentified male known as John Doe 44 and an unidentified child was recorded by National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The Exchangeable Image File Format (EXIF) data embedded in the video indicated the files were produced prior to November of 2018.
Doe 44 is described as a white male with light brown hair and wearing a navy blue t-shirt. He speaks English in the video. Due to the age of the images, it is possible that his appearance may have changed over the years.
Anyone with information to provide is asked to submit a tip online at https://tips.fbi.gov/, or call the FBI’s toll-free tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). 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 and Exploited Children.
Operation Rescue Me focuses on utilizing 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.