The National Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program, consists of state and local law enforcement task forces dedicated to developing effective responses to online enticement of children by sexual predators, child exploitation, and child obscenity and pornography cases. Each State and local task force that is part of the national program shall: 1) consist of State and local investigators, prosecutors, forensic specialists, and education specialists who are dedicated to addressing the goals of the task force; 2) engage in proactive investigations, forensic examinations, and effective prosecutions of Internet crimes against children; 3) provide forensic, preventive, and investigative assistance to parents, educators, prosecutors, law enforcement, and others concerned with Internet crimes against children; 4) develop multijurisdictional, multiagency partnerships and responses to Internet crimes against children offenses through ongoing informational, administrative, and technological support to other State and local law enforcement agencies, as a means for such agencies to acquire the necessary knowledge, personnel, and specialized equipment to investigate and prosecute such offenses; 5) participate in nationally coordinated investigations in any case in which the Attorney General determines such participation to be necessary, as permitted by the available resources of such task force; 6) establish or adopt investigative and prosecution standards consistent with established norms, to which such task force shall comply; 7) investigate, and seek prosecution on tips related to Internet crimes against children, including tips from Operation Fairplay, the National Internet Crimes Against Children Data System, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline, ICAC task forces, and other Federal, State, and local agencies, with priority being given to investigate leads that indicate the possibility of identifying or rescuing child victims, including investigative leads that indicate a likelihood of seriousness of offense or dangerousness to the community; 8) develop procedures for handling seized evidence for ICAC task force lead agencies and affiliate agencies; 9) maintain reports required by OJJDP and other reports and records as determined by the Attorney General; and, 10) seek to comply with national standards regarding the investigation and prosecution of Internet crimes against children, as set forth by the Attorney General, to the extent such standards are consistent with the law of the State where the task force is located.
The New Mexico Office of the Attorney General (NMOAG) is the grantee and is the Regional New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (NM ICAC). The NMOAG plans to use the grant monies to continue the ongoing support of statewide affiliates working towards protecting children from exploitation through their use of technology. The funding will support and enhance existing efforts to identify, apprehend, and prosecute child sexual predators. The target population benefiting from this effort is both identified and unidentified children, who are victims of Internet exploitation and child sexual abuse material. The funding will assist efforts in the following areas: training, equipment, supplies, technical assistance, and personnel, which will further the mission of the PROTECT Our Children Act. The state of New Mexico has seen a considerable increase in cyber tips and referrals from the public. Because of the country's climate within law enforcement, resources are limited within task force affiliates to devote the time and personnel necessary to conduct proactive ICAC investigations. Additional funding would allow the Regional Task Force to hire another law enforcement ICAC investigator to conduct proactive investigations, including undercover investigations online and P2P. This new investigator would also provide training on proactive investigations to task force affiliates. The NMOAG and the NM ICAC Task Force vigorously pursue investigations and prosecutions related to the sexual exploitation of children. The NMOAG will continue to encourage the collaborative participation of federal, state, tribal, military, and local law enforcement in addition to prosecutorial agencies in NM to assist in the overall effort to reduce the effects of Internet-related predations. In addition, the NMOAG will continue to develop working relationships with Tribal law enforcement and non-government organizations (NGO) in New Mexico.
