Data and Charts

This page presents publicly available data and visualizations from official U.S. government sources regarding recidivism, online child exploitation reports, and federal sentencing trends. All information is for reference purposes only.
 
 

 

 

Disclaimer: This page provides publicly available information from official sources for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice, victim support, or a substitute for professional services. Data reflects reported statistics and may not capture all incidents.

Sex Offender Recidivism Rates – 9-Year Follow-Up (2005 Releases)

Released sex offenders were more than three times as likely as other released prisoners to be arrested for a sex offense, but less likely to be arrested for any crime overall.
 
 

 

 

About this data. All figures below are drawn from primary government sources — the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), and the U.S. Sentencing Commission (USSC). Numbers reflect reported statistics and may not capture all incidents. This page is updated as new official reports are published.

Sex Offender Recidivism — 9-Year Follow-Up

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics, "Recidivism of Sex Offenders Released from State Prison: A 9-Year Follow-Up (2005–14)," May 2019.

Key finding: Released sex offenders were approximately three times more likely than other released prisoners to be arrested for a new sex offense within 9 years of release.

NCMEC CyberTipline Reports — Annual Volume

Source: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, CyberTipline annual reports.

Key finding: Reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation to NCMEC have grown dramatically over the past decade, driven largely by the volume of imagery being identified and reported by online platforms.

Federal Sexual Abuse Offenses Sentenced

Source: U.S. Sentencing Commission, Annual Sourcebook of Federal Sentencing Statistics. Figures show offenders sentenced under the federal sexual abuse primary offense category by fiscal year.

Note: Federal cases represent a small share of total sex offense prosecutions in the United States; the majority are handled at the state level.

When Released Sex Offenders Are Re-Arrested

Source: BJS 2019 9-year follow-up. Cumulative percent of released sex offenders re-arrested for any new crime, by years since release.

Key finding: Re-arrest is not a single event in time. The cumulative re-arrest rate continues to climb throughout the 9-year follow-up window, underscoring the value of long-term post-release supervision.