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Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program
Overview	Funding	Evaluation	TTA	Contacts	Resources	FAQs
Overview						Top
The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program (ICAC program) helps state and local law enforcement agencies develop an effective response to cyber enticement and child pornography cases. This help encompasses forensic and investigative components, training and technical assistance, victim services, and community education. The program was developed in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the Internet, the proliferation of child pornography, and heightened online activity by predators seeking unsupervised contact with potential underage victims. The FY 1998 Justice Appropriations Act (Pub, L. No. 105–119) directed OJJDP to create a national network of state and local law enforcement cyber units to investigate cases of child sexual exploitation. The Providing Resources, Officers, and Technology to Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our Children Act ("the PROTECT Act")of 2008, (P.L. 110-401, codified at 42 USC 17601, et seq.), authorized the ICAC program through FY 2013. The ICAC program is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces representing over 2,000 federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies. These agencies are engaged in proactive investigations, forensic investigations, and criminal prosecutions. By helping state and local agencies to develop effective, sustainable responses to online child victimization and child pornography, OJJDP has increased their capacity to address Internet crimes against children. Since the ICAC program's inception in 1998, more than 338,000 law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and other professionals have been trained in the United States and in 17 countries on techniques to investigative and prosecute ICAC related cases. Since 1998, ICAC Task Forces have reviewed more than 280,000 complaints of alleged child sexual victimization resulting in the arrest of more than 30,000 individuals. In fiscal year (FY) 2011, the ICAC program trained over 31,000 law enforcement personnel, over 2,800 prosecutors, and more than 11,000 other professional working in the ICAC field. In FY 2011, ICAC investigations led to more than 5,700 arrests and over 45,000 forensic examinations. In FY 2011 ICAC investigations contributed to the arrests of nearly 5,700 individuals, with nearly 40 percent of those arrests (2,248) resulting in the acceptance of a plea agreement by the defendant in lieu of trial.
Funding						Top
In FY 2009, ICAC program received $25 million under the Omnibus Appropriation Act to support ICAC task forces, training, and technical assistance. The ICAC program received an additional $50 million through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (Public Law 111-5) to suport ICAC task forces, training, technical assistance, and research. Funding History FY 2003: $12.4 million FY 2004: $12.3 million FY 2005: $13.3 million FY 2006: $14.3 million FY 2007: $14.3 million FY 2008: $16.9 million FY 2009: $75 million FY 2010: $30 million FY 2011: $30 million
Training and Technical Assistance						Top
The ICAC Training and Technical Assistance Program was established to assist ICAC task forces with training and technical assistance. Training providers include the following: Girls Educational and Mentoring Services provides training and technical assistance to increase the capacity of ICAC task forces to combat interrelated forms of commercial sexual exploitation of children. Contact: Lynn Yew, Training and Technical Assistance Manager Training@gems-girls.org 202-926-8089 SEARCH, the National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics, provides training related to social networking sites, peer to peer file sharing, wireless networks, and cell phone technology. Contact: Ron Hawley, Executive Director ron@search.org 916-392-2550 The National District Attorney's Association provides training for prosecutors, including their two-part Unsafe Havens class (Part I focuses on pre-trial and investigation, while Part II is an advanced trial advocacy course addressing jury selection through sentencing). Contact: Justin T. Fitzsimmons, Senior Attorney National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse jfitzsimmons@ndaa.org 703-519-1695 The National Center for Justice and the Rule of Law at the University of Mississippi and the National Judicial College will develop educational programming for state judges on the investigation and prosecution of technology-assisted crimes against children. Contact: Thomas K. Clancy, Director and Research Professor tclancy@olemiss.edu 662-915-6918 The National White Collar Crime Center provides training for law enforcement, prosecutors, and other stakeholders in the ICAC program to improve investigative, prosecutorial, and forensic capabilities; create and distribute guidelines, best practices, and investigative methodologies; and coordinate meetings with grantees and practitioners. Contact: Robert Hopper, Manager, Computer Crimes Center rhopper@nw3c.org 304-366-9094 The Innocent Justice Foundation will develop a comprehensive mental health and wellness program for ICAC task forces to address negative effects and trauma for individuals exposed to child pornography through their work. Contact: Heather Steele, President and CEO heather@innocentjustice.org 760-585-8873 Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) provides training focused on investigative techniques and best practices for undercover operations to combat Internet crimes against children and site-specific technical assistance to ICAC Task Forces. Contact: Leila Harrington, Program Administrator, FVTC ICAC Training and Technical Assistance Program leila.harrington@unh.edu 603-479-3108 The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provides basic training to law enforcement officials and prosecutors to help them combat computer-facilitated child exploitation. Contact: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 703-224-2150 The National Forensic Science Technology Center (NFSTC) is dedicated to supporting the justice community through innovative research, programs, evaluation of the latest technologies, forensic science education and laboratory quality reviews. Contact DeLynn Baker Project Administration Manager DeLynn.Baker@nfstc.org 727-549-6067, ext. 152
Contacts						Top
OJJDP Contact(s)
Jacqueline O'Reilly Program Manager 202-514-5024 jacqueline.o'reilly@usdoj.gov
Scott Pestridge Program Manager 202-514-5655 scott.pestridge@usdoj.gov
Resources						Top
Link(s)
Project Safe Childhood Project Safe Childhood combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force The ICAC Task Force Program develops effective responses to the online enticement of children by sexual predators, child exploitation, child obscenity and pornography cases.
Other Resources
Review of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program: Interim Report to the Attorney General Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 ICAC Task Force Contacts National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction Report to Congress Press Releases: Department of Justice Releases First National Strategy for Child Exploitation and Iterdiction Recovery Act Provides $50 Million for Internet Crimes Against Children Grant Programs Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Announces More Than $293 Million In Grants