July 27, 2006 will go down in history as the day that changed how America protects its children from sexual predators. At a ceremony in the Rose Garden, President George W. Bush signed a new, tough-as-nails law to track and apprehend convicted sex offenders who disappear after their release from prison. The date wasn't chosen randomly. It was exactly 25 years earlier that John Walsh and his wife Rev� suffered the most horrendous loss that any parents could endure: the abduction and murder of their beautiful six-year-old son, Adam. Since that day in 1981, John has dedicated himself to fighting on behalf of children and all crime victims. As a result, thousands of victims have found justice, and dozens of abducted children have been safely brought home. The new law signed by President Bush is also a result of John's fight. It's called "The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act."

Most people know Walsh as the dedicated host of "America's Most Wanted" (amw.com), the man whose groundbreaking television program has helped take down nearly 1,000 dangerous fugitives in the past 20 years. But it's not the career that he envisioned for himself. Born in Auburn, New York and educated at the University of Buffalo, Walsh moved to Florida with his wife Rev�, and was living the American Dream. He was a successful businessman, building high-end luxury hotels and building his life. But after Adam's murder, everything changed.

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The Walsh family's tragic story woke up a nation to the danger of child predators after NBC aired two movies about their life. "Adam," in 1983, and "Adam: His Song Continues" in 1986, dramatized the incredible heartbreak and then resilience of the Walshes. In a bold and courageous move, the network ran a roll call of missing children at the end of the movies, leading to the recovery of 65 children.

John and Rev� Walsh's experience taught them that the nation was in desperate need of leadership in the fight to protect children, and they decided to create something positive out of their personal tragedy. From the ad hoc organization they put together to help with the search for Adam, they established the Adam Walsh Child Resource Center, which eventually merged with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), which they co-founded in 1984. The NCMEC (missingkids.com / 1-800-THE LOST) provides invaluable resources to parents, children and law enforcement in the United States and internationally. The charity consistently receives an A+ rating for its ability to spend more than 90 cents of every dollar raised on programming. Its incredible public/private partnerships keep the NCMEC as a leading example of a highly respected and effective non-profit.

Walsh's search for justice and his determination to never let Adam's death have been in vain led him to fight back like few other Americans ever have. Although he's never held political office, Walsh has been the driving force behind major pieces of child protection legislation. This hard work led to Walsh being honored five times by four presidents; Ronald Reagan (twice), George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. One of Walsh's proudest moments was when he and his wife Rev� stood beside President George W. Bush, as the "Adam Walsh Child Protection & Safety Act" was signed into law on the 25th anniversary of Adam's murder.

Although the Walshes have never gotten justice in their own case, thousands of crime victims have, thanks to John and Rev�'s never ending dedication to fighting back. Law enforcement has also embraced Walsh. He's been honored numerous times by many local, state and federal agencies. In addition to being named "Man Of The Year" by both the US Marshals and the FBI, the US Marshals also made Walsh an honorary Marshal. Walsh is only the third man to have received this honor in the organization's two hundred year history.

Walsh is the best-selling author of three books: Tears Of Rage, No Mercy & Public Enemies.

He also recently teamed up with the creator of "Baby Einstein," Julie Clark, to create a series of DVDs called "The Safe Side." The two DVDs, "Stranger Safety" and "Internet Safety" (thesafeside.com), have been lauded as exceptional resources for parents and kids in dealing with predators in the real world and online.

John Walsh lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife Rev�. They were blessed with three more children after Adam: Meghan, Callahan and Hayden.