Los Angeles Regional ICAC Task Force Program

The Los Angeles Regional Internet Crime Against Children (LA ICAC) Task Force, led by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is part of the national network of coordinated task forces dedicated to investigating, prosecuting, and developing effective responses to internet crimes against children.  The LA ICAC currently consists of 102 law enforcement agencies and serves five Southern California counties:  Los Angeles, Orange County, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.  The Task Force covers an approximate area of 29,500 square miles and 19 million residents.  The mission of the Task Force is to coordinate efforts among affiliates to address Internet child sexual exploitation.

Under the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s FY 2022 Internet Against Children Task Forces, the LA ICAC Task Force will address three overarching goals: (1) Maintain and expand the LA ICAC Task Force; (2) Improve LA ICAC Task Force’s effectiveness to prevent, interdict, investigate and prosecute Internet crimes against children and technology-facilitated child exploitation; and (3) Increase resources and efforts towards proactive investigations.

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 Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Regional Internet Crimes Against Children (LA ICAC) Task Force will continue to address three overarching goals: (1) Maintain and expand the LA ICAC Task Force; (2) Improve LA ICAC Task Force’s effectiveness to prevent, interdict, investigate and prosecute Internet crimes against children and technology-facilitated child exploitation; and (3) Increase resources and efforts towards proactive investigations. These will be achieved through the following objectives: (1) Expand the LA ICAC Task Force to prevent, interdict, investigate, and prosecute Internet crimes against Children; (2) Maintain Task Force operations and affiliates; (3) Serve as a resource for communities and agencies within its geographic area; (4) Serve as a forensic resource to affiliate and non-affiliate agencies within the Task Force’s geographical service area; (5) Assist with the successful prosecution of cases at the local, State and Federal level; (6) Conduct both proactive and reactive investigations into the computer/technology crimes perpetrated against children and youth.