Internet Crimes Against Children Program Expansion

Using OJJDP funds, the Burlington Vermont Police Department ICAC will continue to support its local ICAC devoted personnel, as well as provide for five positions in affiliate organizations in order to allow for statewide ICAC coverage. These affiliate positions include a district attorney, 2 field investigators, and 2 forensic examiners. These funds will also provide for both software and hardware upgrades for the Burlington Police Department and the five affiliate organizations as well as trainings for the personnel.

Further, the Burlington Police Department will continue to operate its Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force as part of the national ICAC program operated by OJJDP. The Burlington Police Department Task Force, pursuant to Section 104 of the PROTECT Act, 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, educator, prosecutors, law enforcement, and other concerned with Interne crimes against children; 4) develop multijurisdictional, multiagency responses and partnerships 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 resource of such task force; 6) establish or adopt investigative and prosecution standards consistent with 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 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; 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.

NCA/CF