New York State Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force

The FY 1998 Justice Appropriations Act Congress provided $2.4 million to OJJDP create the Internet Crimes Against Children Program. In the Conference report that year specific language provided that OJJDP stimulate the creation of "State and local law enforcement cyber units to investigate childsexual exploitation" by offenders using the Internet or online communications technology.

OJJDP developed the ICAC Task Force Program to assist State and local law enforcement agencies to acquire the necessary knowledge, equipment, and personnel resources to prevent, interdict, or investigate ICAC offenses. In FY 1998, ten agencies (1st Tier) received ICAC Task Force cooperative agreements. Subsequent annual funding has allowed for the expansion of the ICAC program to grow to 46 Task Forces. Under this program, these agencies serve as regional sources of prevention, education, and investigative expertise to provide assistance to parents, teachers, law enforcement, and other professionals working on child victimization issues.

With funding provided by the Fiscal Year 2007 Appropriations Act provided to OJJDP, the New York State Police will coordinate with the New York City Police Department and other law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies in the New York City metropolitan area in order to develop a multi-agency, multi- disciplinary response to ICAC offenses servicing the New York City metropolitan area that is composed of federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies and child welfare organizations to: 1) conduct reactive and proactive ICAC investigations; 2) serve as a forensic resource; 3)effectively prosecute cases at the local, state, and federal levels; 4)engage in law enforcement and community outreach activities to include: training, technical assistance, and prevention and education activities; 5)serve as a resource for all communities and agencies within the geographic area of responsibility; 6)effectively respond in a timely manner to referrals from agencies (other task forces, federal partners, Cybertipline, etc; 7)formalize law enforcement partnerships through written agreements (for example, memorandums of understanding); 8)provide financial assistance to partner agencies; 9) require that partner agencies adopt ICAC Task Force Investigative Standards as policy; 10) fully participate in nationally coordinated investigations (for example, Peer Precision). CA/CF

Using OJJDP funds, the New York State Police ICAC will continue to employ a State Police Investigator to conduct investigations, assist other investigators at the local, State and Federal levels; and instruct in training programs. Additionally, an ICAC Coordinator will be retained who will be responsible for fostering collaboration, communications and networking; conducting meetings and training programs; and public outreach across New York.

Further, the New York State Police will continue to operate its Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force as part of the national ICAC program operated by OJJDP. The New York State Police ICAC 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, educators, prosecutors, law enforcement, and others concerned with Internet 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.

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