Maryland State Police 2016 Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces: Wounded Veterans

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.

To address the computer forensic capacity in the State of Maryland, the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (MDICAC) seeks to: 1) expand MD ICAC’s forensic capacity by employing civilian forensic examiners (contractual), enhancing the ability of MD ICAC member agencies to have seized computers analyzed in a timely manner, 2) provide advanced education and training to select law enforcement officers and civilian examiners in the performance of thorough preliminary reviews of digital evidence onsite, in a short time frame, without the requirement of having to take the system(s)/media back to the lab for an in-depth examination, and 3) ensure MD ICAC and the Maryland State Police continue to play a lead role as the key resource in protecting our children from online sexual predators and serve as a resource of information, education, assistance, and support to Maryland citizens and law enforcement agencies interested in reducing the incidents of computer facilitated child exploitation in the State. (CA/CF)