FY 2012 Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program: Houston Metropolitan Area

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 Houston Police Department (HPD) will continue in the role of primary law enforcement agency for the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children (HMICAC) Task Force. The HMICAC has made significant progress in the fight against child sexual exploitation in the eight counties that comprise the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA). Using these grant funds, the HPD will continue to reduce the exploitation of children by expanding the number of affiliate law enforcement agencies and personnel dedicated to investigating and prosecuting Internet-related crimes against children. In the Houston CMSA, there are currently 53 HMICAC affiliate law enforcement agencies with signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The HMICAC will work to expand their current capacity with sub-awards to affiliate agencies to pay for personnel, equipment and training.
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 Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (HMICAC) has made significant progress in the fight against child sexual exploitation in the 8 counties that comprise the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (Houston CMSA) as described in the grant. Through the establishment of affiliate ICAC task forces, HMICAC will continue to reduce the exploitation of children by expanding the number of affiliate law enforcement agencies and personnel dedicated to investigating and prosecuting Internet-related crimes against children. HMICAC will accomplish this by training affiliate task force investigators in both reactive and pro-active techniques. Affiliate task force investigators will be trained on how to pursue investigative leads received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline and how to initiate pro-active investigations using the Child Protection System and ICAC COPS/Roundup and ARES.

NCA/CF