South Florida ICAC Task Force Program

The South Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (SFICACTF) has been operated and managed by the Broward Sheriff’s Office since 1998 and currently includes approximately fifty-six (56) affiliate agencies in the southeast and southwest region of Florida. The SFICACTF represents a 12-county region, covering a population of approximately 8,422,154 year-round residents and is a partnership of local, state, and federal law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies. The task force members are committed to ensuring quality Internet crimes against children investigations and digital forensic examinations are conducted, and the perpetrators of those crimes are prosecuted.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office has developed multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional relationships and is committed to assisting the SFICACTF affiliates with equipment, resources, computer forensic support, and the most up-to-date training. The SFICACTF investigators share in the responsibility of conducting online investigations, digital forensic examinations, and public awareness to the communities in the southern region of Florida. The SFICACTF will continue to investigate Cybertips assigned in IDS, as well as conduct proactive operations targeting offenders who possess/distribute child pornography and victimize children through the Internet. Additionally, the SFICACTF will continue to participate in multi-jurisdictional operations as needed. All SFICACTF affiliates adhere to the national standards set forth by the Attorney General, OJJDP, and the ICAC Commanders for ICAC-related investigations. The Broward Sheriff’s Office will continue to improve and strive to provide the southern region of Florida with an organized and highly effective task force dedicated to preventing, detecting, investigating, and prosecuting crimes committed against children over the Internet.

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 Broward County Sheriff's Office, South Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (SF ICAC TF) will continue to provide the southern counties in the State of Florida with an organized and highly effective task force dedicated to the detection, investigation, and prosecution of crimes committed against children over the Internet, as well as the prevention of such crimes. The SFICACTF currently includes approximately 58 affiliate agencies in Florida's southeast and southwest region. The SF ICAC TF investigators will continue to share in the responsibility of conducting online investigations, digital forensics examinations, and public awareness (Internet safety) presentations to the communities in the southern region of Florida. The SF ICAC TF will continue its local and multi-jurisdictional undercover operations targeting offenders who victimize children or solicit, entice, possess or distribute child pornography, or traffic children through the Internet.