Massachusetts Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force

The National Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program, as established by the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008, consists of State and local law enforcement task forces dedicated to developing effective responses to online enticement of children by sexual predators, child exploitation, and child obscenity and pornography cases. Each State and local task force that is part of the national program 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 partnerships and responses 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 established 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 the 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 for ICAC task force lead agencies and affiliate agencies; 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 Massachusetts (MA) State Police has established the following goals for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force: 1) maintain and expand the task force to prevent, interdict, investigate, and prosecute internet crimes against children and technology-facilitated child exploitation by providing technical forensic assistance and investigative assistance to task force personnel and affiliates and through expanding the number of affiliate agencies throughout the state; and 2) improve task force effectiveness through supporting specialized training, updating hardware and software, increasing the use of the mobile forensic unit, and automating CyberTip processing. Specifically, grant funding will support: a) overtime for MA State Police computer forensic and ICAC personnel to complete investigations and forensic exams as well as provide technical assistance to MA ICAC affiliates in these areas; b) purchase of computer hardware and software to conduct investigations and forensic examinations; c) support travel and registration costs for ICAC-related training, and d) contract with designated affiliates for the purpose of engaging in community awareness and supporting ICAC prosecutions. NCA/CF

The National Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program, consists of State and local law enforcement task forces dedicated to developing effective responses to online enticement of children by sexual predators, child exploitation, and child obscenity and pornography cases. Each State and local task force that is part of the national program 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 partnerships and responses 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 resources of such task force; 6) establish or adopt investigative and prosecution standards consistent with established 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 the 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 for ICAC task force lead agencies and affiliate agencies; 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 Massachusetts State Police has established the following goals for the Massachusetts (MA) Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force: 1) maintain and expand the task force to prevent, interdict, investigate, and prosecute internet crimes against children and technology-facilitated child exploitation by providing technical forensic assistance and investigative assistance to task force personnel and affiliates and through expanding the number of affiliate agencies throughout the state; and 2) improve task force effectiveness to prevent, interdict, investigate, and prosecute internet crimes against children and technology-facilitated child exploitation through supporting specialized training, updating hardware and software, increasing the use of the mobile forensic unit, and automating Cybertip processing. Specifically, grant funding will support: a) overtime for MA State Police computer forensic and ICAC personnel to complete investigations and forensic exams as well as provide technical assistance to MA ICAC affiliates in these areas; b) purchase of computer hardware and software to conduct investigations and forensic examinations; c) support travel and registration costs for ICAC-related training, and d) contract with designated affiliates for the purpose of engaging in community awareness and supporting ICAC prosecutions. NCA/CF