FBI Looking For Endangered Child, Help ID This Person Of Interest

CLEVELAND, OH — Investigators are asking for help identifying a man that may have information on an endangered child. The child is believed to be a victim of an ongoing child sexual exploitation case, the FBI said.

The man — called John Doe 40 by the FBI — is a white man, between the ages of 30 and 40 years old. He appears to be heavyset, with dark colored hair. In a video obtained by the FBI, John Doe 40 is heard speaking English. A photograph and sketch of John Doe 40 are above this article.

Anyone with information on John Doe 40's whereabouts, or his identity, is asked to call the FBI's toll-free tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). Tips can also be made online, by clicking here.

"The public is reminded no charges have been filed in this case and the pictured individual is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law," the FBI said in a statement.

The video of the unidentified man, now in the FBI's possession, first surfaced in October 2017. The video was seen by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and publicized. Investigators believe the video was made prior to October 2017.

The image of John Doe 40, and the investigation into him and the child, is part of the FBI's Operation Rescue Me and Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP). The operation focuses on "utilizing clues obtained through in-depth image analysis to identify the child victims depicted in child exploitation material," the FBI said.

ECAP relies on media partners to identify unknown adults (referred to as John and Jane Does) who display their faces in connection with child pornography.

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Photo, sketch from FBI