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…

The Attorney General of Wyoming Division of Victim Services, doing business as Attorney General, received a $360,714 Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention under the Missing Children's Assistance grant program (CFDA 16.543). The award supports the Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which is dedicated to preventing, interdicting, and investigating technology-facilitated child exploitation crimes. Key activities include conducting computer forensic examinations, partnering with prosecutors to increase investigations and prosecutions, and building capacity within the state to expand the number of agencies involved in ICAC cases. The task force also provides community outreach and education on internet safety for parents and children. This federal grant award will enable the Wyoming ICAC Task Force to maintain and expand its operations to better address the growing problem of online child exploitation across the state from October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024.

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 wyoming ICAC task force will continue to maintain and expand their task force to address technology-facilitated child exploitation to prevent, interdict, and investigate ICAC offenses. They will continue to (1) maintain and expand the ICAC task force to prevent, interdict, investigate, and prosecute internet crimes against children; and (2) improve the task force's effectiveness and serve as a resource for all communities and agencies within their geographic area of responsibility. They will conduct thorough and efficient computer forensic examinations, continue on-going partnerships with county and federal prosecutors to increase the number of investigations and prosecutions, and build capacity within its geographical region to increase the number of agencies involved in the investigation of ICAC related offenses. Finally, the task force will conduct community outreach and education on internet safety directed towards parents and children.