ICAC Task Force: Cook County-IL

Using OJJDP funds, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office will enhance its detection, investigation, apprehension and prosecution of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation of children through basic and advanced training for investigators. More specifically, the Cook County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force will be sending investigators to Investigative Techniques training, as well as Undercover Chat training. Further, the Cook County ICAC will employ a full-time Administrative Assistant/Outreach Coordinator who will be responsible for collecting, and aggregating, performance measure data from the affiliate agencies and ensuring that all ICAC reports are submitted in a timely manner. In addition, in an effort to enhance the task force's Internet safety outreach efforts, this coordinator will be responsible for creating, updating and presenting Internet safety materials throughout Cook County.

Pursuant to Section 104 of the PROTECT Act, the ICAC Task Force 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 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.

NCA/CF

Pursuant to Section 104 of the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008, the ICAC Task Force 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 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.

The Cook County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force focuses its efforts in the region of Cook County, Illinois, which includes the city of Chicago and 119 suburban towns and villages. With a population of approximately 5.2 million persons, Cook County encompasses a total territory of 946 square miles. The Cook County ICAC Task Force, under the guidance of the Cook County State's Attorney's Office Sex Crimes Division, operates to prevent the future sexual victimization of children and to assist in the investigation and prosecution of crimes involving the sexual victimization children which have already occurred. The Cook County State's Attorney's Office will work to maintain and increase the number of law enforcement agencies that are dedicated to the Cook County ICAC Task Force in an effort to aggressively identify and investigate persons who use the Internet to sexually exploit children. The Cook County ICAC Task Force's success will be measured by the number of additional law enforcement agencies that join the Cook County ICAC Task Force, the number of investigations and computer forensics examinations conducted, the number of arrests made, and the number of Internet Safety Presentations conducted for the community.

NCA/CF