Understanding The Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force’s Impact on Colorado

by Internet Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer – H. Michael Steinberg

Introduction – Armed with federal funds – several counties in Colorado have instituted teams of detectives that cris cross the internet searching out individuals to target for the prosecution of internet crimes against children. Crimes such as Internet Luring, Solicitation, and Child Pornography known in Colorado as the crime of Sexual Exploitation of Children.

Here Is How The Task Forces Work

In Douglas County Colorado, for example, two detectives have been assigned to the Police Department’s ICAC task force. These detectives investigate internet related crimes such as persons using the internet to attempt to engage in sexual contact with underage children, persons who send children feeds from a web camera and/or files displaying sexual acts and persons who download, manufacture or distribute images of child pornography.

The ICAC task force provides police agencies with the ability to conduct “proactive” investigations of internet crimes against children. They see their job as arresting perpetrators before they have victimized a real child. In truth, the numbers of actual real victims pales when compared with this – near entrapment type conduct.

The ICAC task force was created by the federal government oversees this project with the Department of Justice, specifically the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Federal grant funds to assist agencies with these investigations.

The task force conducts investigations state wide as well as working with federal agencies and ICAC task forces in other States.  Most of the investigations focus on sex crimes committed upon children in which a computer was used to facilitate the crime.

The task force also provides training and resources to detectives to assist in their investigations of reported crimes involving children.

Here is link to their website – Colorado ICAC.