Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary

The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), operating under the North Dakota Office of Attorney General, received a $367,201 cooperative agreement from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention under the Missing Children's Assistance program (CFDA 16.543) for the period October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. The award supports continued operations of the North Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children (ND ICAC) Task Force, which investigates and prosecutes internet-facilitated crimes against children. Key deliverables include the detection, investigation, and apprehension of internet predators; forensic examination and recovery of digital evidence documenting child exploitation; specialized training for task force members, affiliate agencies, and community partners; and victim protection services that enable law enforcement to remove exploited children from dangerous environments.

The funding supports the ND ICAC Task Force's multidisciplinary approach to combating cyber-enabled child exploitation through collaboration with BCI, K-9 units, federal affiliates, and local law enforcement partners. Training initiatives extend beyond task force investigators to include school resource officers and community partners, with emphasis on child protection education and parental awareness of online safety risks. The forensic capacity and investigative expertise funded through this award directly enhance the state's ability to proactively investigate cases of online child exploitation and process incoming tips with greater efficiency, supporting North Dakota's law enforcement response to the rising volume of internet crimes against children in the state.