Advanced Experiential Child Exploitation Training Project

Children are exploited via technology in a myriad of ways. Despite the exponential increase in the quantity, sophistication, and severity of technology-facilitated crimes against children, many ICAC investigators and prosecutors are still limited by a lack of experiential training, and often only minimal access to innovative methods and/or technologies to investigate these crimes. This lack of innovative, experiential, and self-paced training for those tasked with responding to these online exploitation cases is impeding efforts to effectively address abuse involving digital evidence and emerging technologies. 

Zero Abuse routinely communicates with ICAC investigators and prosecutorial agencies to understand what knowledge, skills, and job aids they need to effectively investigate CSAM, online exploitation, and sex trafficking. To address technology-facilitated crimes against children, Zero Abuse Project will implement the Advanced Experiential Child Exploitation Training Project. The goals of the Project are to: 1) Provide training and job aids to ICAC investigators and prosecutorial agencies to build their technological capacity in the areas of AI and de-aging technology, using electronic storage detection K9s, and investigating sextortion, and 2) Provide experiential, skill-based training to improve ICAC investigative methods in the areas of child exploitation search warrants, conducting child exploitation suspect interviews, surveilling ICAC suspects, and testifying in CSAM cases.

Through this Project, Zero Abuse will develop and deliver two new highly-experiential in-person courses; develop and deliver three new technology-based virtual trainings; develop and offer two new self-paced courses; continue to deliver three existing in-person courses and webinars; maintain and expand an on-demand Secure Resources Portal to provide ICAC investigators and prosecutors with legal process templates, resources, and other job aids; and provide technical assistance and training by request to ICAC Task Forces and affiliates.