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North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force

Award Information

Award #
2015-MC-FX-K025
Location
Awardee County
Alachua
Congressional District
Status
Closed
Funding First Awarded
2015
Total funding (to date)
$1,086,690

Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2015, $355,509)

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 Gainesville Police Department (PD) will continue its efforts to provide an effective response to technology facilitated exploitation of children in northern Florida. Activities of the North Florida ICAC Task Force will include conducting investigative operations and forensic examinations, providing community education, and supporting prosecutions. Grant funds will support Gainesville PD personnel costs for managing the Task Force and conducting investigations, training costs for Task Force members (including travel and registration fees for conferences such as the National Law Enforcement Training on Child Exploitation, Dallas Crimes Against Children conference, forensic classes as well as attendance at training offered through the ICAC National Training and Technical Assistance Program); equipment purchases such as forensic computers, laptops and forensic devices; computer forensic software; and undercover operations costs.

NCA/CF

Date Created: September 3, 2015