ILF Receives Official Recognition from Federal Law Enforcement

Authors: Lee Anderson
Published: February 18, 2025

For over seven years, the Innocent Lives Foundation (ILF) has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help protect children from predators. Our approach has always been to collaborate directly with law enforcement agencies—within the bounds of the law—to ensure our findings lead to real, effective outcomes that stop predators and keep children safe. Today, we are thrilled to share that the Washington Field Office of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division has publicly recognized our work.

A Milestone Acknowledgment

On January 7, 2025, Christopher Hadnagy, Founder, Executive Director, and Board Member of the Innocent Lives Foundation, received an award of recognition for his team’s exceptional contributions. The award reads:

“His exceptional contribution of advanced open source intelligence techniques and extreme efficiency was instrumental in enhancing the operation’s effectiveness. His efforts bolstered the team’s success by diligently combing through hundreds of websites, applications, forums, and other platforms to identify where officers could effectively use as a medium to catch predators. The integrity, perseverance, and selflessness displayed by Mr. Hadnagy reflect great credit upon himself, the Innocent Lives Foundation, and the collaborative spirit of law enforcement and private organizations working together to protect the most vulnerable members of our society.”

Presented January 2025 by Jacob D. Cameron, GS15, SAC

The nature of our work necessitates confidentiality. Therefore public recognition of our efforts, by our law enforcement partners is particularly significant and meaningful. This marks a milestone as our first collaboration with Army CID.

Why Working Within the Law Matters

Not all efforts to apprehend child predators are conducted responsibly. Several groups operating today use vigilante tactics, taking the law into their own hands without adhering to legal procedures or respecting due process. While these groups might have good intentions, their actions can compromise legitimate investigations, put survivors at risk, and potentially harm the prosecution of offenders.

Vigilantism often results in:

• Legal complications: Unlawful methods of obtaining evidence can lead to evidence being thrown out in court, allowing offenders to evade justice.
• Safety risks: Vigilantes can endanger themselves or innocent bystanders without proper training and coordination.
• Emotional harm: Accusations made in error can devastate individuals, including false accusations that can ruin lives.
• Further Abuse of Victims: Public shame and humiliation of predators often only puts their victims at greater risk of abuse. A report from Georgetown University states the following: “Formal or informal public shaming of individuals who have had cumulative experiences with shame contravenes what is understood about creating optimal conditions for changing maladaptive or abusive patterns of behavior for the better…. even if stigmatizing perpetrators to achieve accountability has some legitimate purpose, any benefit is outweighed by the fact that shaming perpetrators undermines the goals of violence reduction and survivor safety. Internalized shame can lead to externalized violence, thereby increasing, rather than decreasing, a survivor’s risk of harm.”

Ultimately, vigilante efforts can undermine our very goal: to protect children from harm. By contrast, the ILF’s approach focuses on advanced, legal investigative methods and open-source intelligence that stand up under scrutiny in court. This ensures predators are stopped and brought to justice with minimal risk to the innocent and without jeopardizing ongoing or future investigations. For more on why vigilantism can be so harmful, read our blog post on the subject.

Looking Ahead

This award underscores the value of authentic collaboration between private organizations like the ILF and federal agencies. By leveraging our expertise in open-source intelligence, we can help law enforcement officers gather court-admissible evidence to identify and catch predators. In turn, federal officials provide the legal framework, resources, and authority that ensure offenders are prosecuted effectively and survivors receive the protection they deserve.

We’re grateful for the dedication and support of our donors, volunteers, and community members who have been instrumental in making this collaborative success possible. Together, we’re proving that when we stay within the bounds of the law and work hand-in-hand with the right agencies, we can achieve meaningful, life-saving results.

Help Us Protect More Innocent Lives

Every investigation involves hours of diligent research, expertise, and collaboration with law enforcement to ensure predators are brought to justice. Your financial support is vital in helping our team expand these efforts, adopt new technologies, and safeguard even more children at risk. By donating to the ILF, you’re directly contributing to protecting innocent lives, helping us continue to serve as a responsible, law-abiding force for good.