The Department of Justice today awarded the Attorney General’s Special Commendation to Criminal Investigation Director Matthew Joy, Commander of the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in Appleton, Wisconsin, and Special Agent in Charge Jesse Crowe, Supervisor of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for the Western District of Wisconsin. In January 2019, Director Joy and SAC Crowe led an urgent search to locate a missing 14-year-old girl who had been transported across state lines by a suspected child molester with whom she had been chatting online. The perpetrator was arrested, convicted, and is now serving a sentence of 11 years and 3 months in federal prison.

The announcement is part of the 37th annual commemoration of National Missing Children’s Day. This special commendation recognizes the extraordinary efforts and significant investigative or program contributions of an Internet Crimes Against Children task force or affiliate agency, or an individual assigned to either.

“Director Joy and SAC Crowe are the epitome of persistence and commitment in law enforcement,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. “The Department of Justice congratulates them on their tireless efforts to bring this child molester to justice, and we stand with the public safety professionals of Wisconsin in their work to protect America’s children.”

“The fierce dedication and determination of Director Joy and SAC Crowe helped bring a sexual predator to justice and rescue a young girl from almost certain harm,” said Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Administrator Caren Harp. “We applaud their efforts and thank them for their courage and bravery.”

The department also recognized seven law enforcement officers from Louisiana and Florida, as well as a school bus driver from Florida, for their efforts to find missing children and bring child sexual predators and child pornographers to justice. The department declared Elliana Conrad, a fifth-grader at the Antonia Crater Elementary School in Newberg, Oregon, winner of the 2020 National Missing Children’s Day poster contest.    

Due to restrictions resulting from COVID-19, the in-person ceremony to honor the recipients has been canceled. Instead, this website features information about the awardees and statements from Office of Justice Programs Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Administrator Caren Harp.

The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants and resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.