Francey Hakes

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Francey Hakes was a prosecutor for 16 years, first as a state prosecutor, then as a federal prosecutor, then as a high level official at the US Department of Justice. Francey has held a top-secret security clearance as part of her work on national security investigations while serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. She appeared before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, presenting applications for counter-terrorism and counter-espionage warrants on a special detail to the Office of Intelligence Policy and Review at the Department of Justice.  

 

She has been lead counsel on dozens of trials relating to violent crimes, child homicide and other crimes against children.  Francey served as the first-ever National Coordinator for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction from January 2010 to March 2012.  The United States Attorney General appointed her to the post, which was created by the U.S. Congress in the Protect Our Children Act of 2008, and which was housed in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, DC.  As the first coordinator, Francey was responsible for creating the inaugural U.S. strategy addressing child sexual exploitation entitled, The National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction, which was submitted to the U.S. Congress in August 2010.

 

The Strategy contained three key parts:  first, a threat assessment gauging the threat child exploitation poses to the Nation’s children; second, a thorough review of ongoing efforts to combat child exploitation at all levels of government and the private sector; and third, a muscular new approach to be taken by a strong coalition of federal, state, local, industry, and non-profit stakeholders to prevent, deter, and interdict child sexual exploitation.  After submitting this first National Strategy to Congress, Francey was charged with its implementation.  She lead multiple working groups across federal, state and local agencies that were tasked with increasing collaboration, recommending new approaches and technologies, and formulating new and innovative training.  She regularly briefed the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General, drafted remarks for delivery by the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General, and helped prepare the Attorney General for testimony before the U.S. Congress.

 

Francey oversaw all child exploitation efforts at the Department of Justice, which includes the FBI, the U.S. Marshals, the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, the Nation’s 93 US Attorneys’ Offices, and the Office of Justice Programs, which houses the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces and other law enforcement grant and victim-centric programs.   Francey served as the liaison from the Department of Justice to industry, non-profit, federal, state, and local agencies, as well as to law enforcement agencies and governments worldwide.  Francey testified before the U.S. Congress and the United States Sentencing Commission, and briefed senior officials at the White House on child exploitation issues.

 

Francey has been invited to speak as an expert before Congress twice, and at industry, non-profit, and law enforcement events, including those sponsored by Interpol, the Virtual Global Task Force, the U.S. Department of Education, InHope, the National Children’s Alliance, Oak Ridge National Laboratories, the International Bullying Prevention Association, and the Dallas Child Advocacy Center.  She was the key organizer for two Department of Justice-sponsored training events attended by more than 3000 child protection professionals from around the world.

 

Francey received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science, with a Global Policy Studies Certificate, from the University of Georgia.  Francey also holds a Juris Doctor and an honorary doctorate from Ohio Northern University.  Francey is now CEO of her own consulting firm, providing advice and counsel to law enforcement, governments, Industry, entertainment companies, and others on national security and the protection of children.  Francey has also appeared on CNN, NewsMaxTV, and CRTV.

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