| Vitae
Robert Hugh Farley is a thirty-year veteran of the Cook County Sheriff's Police Department in Chicago, Illinois, USA. As a Detective he has had over twenty-eight years experience investigating and supervising all aspects of crime against children from sexual abuse to child homicide. On April 28, 2003 he retired as the Commanding Officer of the Cook County Sheriff's Police, Child Exploitation Unit.
Following his retirement, Robert began working as an international consultant for INTERPOL, the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children and the Microsoft Corporation. In addition, he also works as a consultant and author for VIRTUS, the National Catholic Risk Retention Group.
| Robert created the Child Exploitation Unit in July 1997. His concept was to establish a unique, specialized Unit that would proactively combat the online Internet solicitation and molestation of children. At that time no other law enforcement agency in the United States had a Unit working this specific type of crime. |
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His strategy for the Unit included: writing grants and directives, establishing guidelines, creating undercover children's and adults' identities, establishing undercover online computer accounts, acquiring forensic computer capabilities, developing online "sting" situations, identifying resources and coordinating with local and federal agencies.
Because of the unique crimes involved in the sexual exploitation of children Robert proposed several new pieces of legislation and testified in front of the Illinois House or Representatives prior to the proposals being signed into law.
As the result of his leadership the Child Exploitation Unit is one of the most successful law enforcement organizations in the world that arrests online predators. The Unit to date has a 100 % conviction rate. The activities of this Unit have frequently been featured on nightly television, and in the national and international press.
Prior to his creating this Unit, Robert, in 1988, was detailed from the Sheriff's Police to become a founding member of the Federal Child Exploitation Strike Force in Chicago. He continued to be a lead component of the Strike Force from 1988 to 1997. As a Deputy United States Marshal, he conducted hundreds of undercover child pornography, child exploitation and child prostitution investigations, portraying himself as a child molester, while targeting sexual predators in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana.
Prior to this assignment Robert was a member of the Cook County States Attorney’s Mass Molestation Task Force while assigned to the Sheriff’s Police Juvenile Division.
As an internationally known child abuse expert Robert has co-authored books while providing technical support and consultant services to the U.S. Department of Justice, OJJDP, the FBI and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children child abuse training programs serving as a senior instructor. As a result of his unique training curriculum, the child abuse investigative techniques that he developed have been implemented by hundreds of prosecutors, police departments, probation departments, child protection agencies and advocacy centers across the world.
| FORMAL EDUCATION |
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Master of Science in Criminal Justice and Corrections, 1991
Chicago State University, Chicago, IL |
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Bachelor of Science in Education, 1972
Chicago State University, Chicago, IL |
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