October 19, 2007
VERMONT INTERNET CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN TASK FORCE RECEIVES $250,000 GRANT FROM DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
United States Attorney Thomas D. Anderson announced today that the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children (“ICAC”) Task Force has received a $250,000 grant from the Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Program, to fight online child predators and the proliferation of child pornography on the Internet. First established in 1998, the Vermont ICAC has been part of the Northern New England ICAC, which served the states of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Through the increased funding of nearly $130,000 provided for in this grant, Vermont will be able to establish an independent ICAC which will serve all of Vermont.
ICAC Task Forces were developed by the Department of Justice in 1998 in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the Internet, the proliferation of child pornography, and the heightened online activity by predators searching for unsupervised contact with underage victims. ICAC Task Forces are made up of federal state and local law enforcement agencies who work together to effectively respond to child pornography cases, and sexual assault and abuse of children facilitated by the internet.
In Vermont, largely through the efforts of the Burlington Police Department, the Essex Police Department and the Vermont State Police, and despite very limited funding, the Vermont ICAC has been successful in public outreach programs and police training. Over the years, the Vermont ICAC has trained numerous police investigators and several forensic specialists.
With the increased funding provided for in this grant, the Vermont ICAC will be able to:
• Increase its capability statewide to conduct rapid, complete and thorough investigations of child enticement and child pornography cases;
• Increase its training of federal, state and local investigators and prosecutors regarding child enticement and child pornography cases;
• Increase the prosecution of child enticement and child pornography cases;
• Create a statewide, multi-agency computer forensic lab to house computer forensic operations and forensic examinations; and
• Increase public education and community outreach.
In addition to these goals, the grant will allow the Vermont ICAC to expand computer forensic training in the state. The ability to conduct thorough and timely forensic examination of computers seized in these cases is critical to their successful prosecution. In this regard, in early 2007, the Vermont ICAC partnered with Champlain College to enhance computer forensics capability in Vermont. Funded in part through a Byrne Grant secured by Senator Patrick Leahy’s office, Champlain College provides two forensically trained college professors to assist the ICAC on a part time basis with the computer forensics. This unique partnership has the potential to significantly expand the ICAC’s capability to conduct computer forensics and be a model for the rest of the country.
In addition to the Burlington Police Department, the Essex Police Department and the Vermont State Police, the United States Attorney, the Vermont Attorney General, the Orleans and Bennington County State’s Attorneys, the Vermont Sheriff’s Association and the Vermont Chiefs of Police Association provided guidance and direction to the Vermont ICAC.
The ICAC Task Force Program is the foundation of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. “Protecting children from sexual exploitation and abuse by online predators is a priority of all law enforcement in Vermont – federal, state and local,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas D. Anderson. “ By enhancing the Vermont ICAC through the funds provided by this grant, law enforcement will be able to increase the pressure on child predators and those that possess, distribute and manufacture child pornography.
