ICAC task forces help law enforcement respond to online child-exploitation threats

The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program, commonly called ICAC, helps law enforcement respond to online predators, exploitation and child victimization, a presenter said. The program is supported by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention within the Office of Justice Programs and operates a national network to investigate and prevent online child exploitation.

ICAC coordinates 61 task forces that work with more than 6,200 federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors across the United States, the presenter said, providing forensic and investigative support, specialized training, victim services and community education. "The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program, also known as ICAC, helps law enforcement respond to those threats," the presenter said.

The task forces conduct proactive investigations to identify offenders targeting children online and respond to reports submitted through a cyber tip line, the presenter said. Since its inception in 1998, ICAC task forces have handled more than 2,000,000 complaints involving child victimization and helped make more than 175,000 arrests nationwide, figures the presenter provided to illustrate the program’s scale.

According to the segment, ICAC’s combination of investigative activity, training and victim services is intended to strengthen agency responses and better protect children and families. For more information and resources on ICAC and related programs, the presenter directed listeners to ojp.gov and the Justice Explained series.