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In
a letter to FBI Director Chris Wray, Ernst, who is a survivor of
sexual assault and domestic violence, said the "careless
actions" of the agents who asked female staff to pose for photos
in the undercover stings amounted to "crimes" that could put
those women in danger.
"Due to the reckless actions of these special agents and the
indifference of the FBI, there is no way of knowing how many
times these images have been downloaded, copied, or further
shared across the internet," wrote Ernst, a Republican from
Iowa.
A FBI spokeswoman confirmed receiving the letter, but declined
to comment further.
On Aug. 2, Inspector General Michael Horowitz revealed his
office has been investigating a special agent who asked female
office support staff to pose as minors and sex workers to assist
with undercover sex-trafficking operations.
The agent allegedly told them not to tell their bosses about
their participation, and never obtained their written consent.
In the course of that investigation, the inspector general's
office discovered that other agents had also used female staff
photos in similar operations, and that the FBI had no policy in
place concerning the use of photos of non-certified undercover
staff in operations.
The FBI in its response to the report said it would evaluate and
update its policies, and said the Office of Professional
Responsibility was reviewing the conduct of the agent at the
heart of the probe.
Ernst, in her letter, said she wanted to know what resources
were being provided to the women to help get their photos
scrubbed from the internet, how many agents had engaged in
similar conduct, and what other steps the FBI was taking to
address the concerns laid out in Horowitz's report.
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and
Grant McCool)
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