OJJDP FY 11 Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program: Missouri

Using OJJDP funds, the St. Charles County Sheriff's Department will assume the role of lead agency for the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC). Using these funds, the St. Charles County Sheriff's Department will ensure a continued effective, sustainable law enforcement response to technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation by providing funding, equipment, ongoing training and mobile support to agencies statewide. The St. Charles County Sheriff's Department recognizes the importance of expanding the capacity of the Missouri ICAC Task Force and, as a result they will be making more than a dozen sub-awards to affiliate agencies to pay for personnel, equipment and training. In addition, the Sheriff's Department will be purchasing software to host online statewide task force meetings, as well as training webinars.

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 Interne 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.

CA/CF