FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 20, 2009

The Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force

 Hosts First Responders Training

CLEVELAND- The Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force announced the First Responders Training being held today at the Corporate College, located at 4400 Richmond Road in Cleveland. The offices of Prosecutor Bill Mason, who chairs the Ohio ICAC, and Sheriff Bob Reid are hosting the training. More than 175 law enforcement officers from around Ohio are in attendance, making it the largest First Responders Training in the nation.  

The First Responders Training is designed for law enforcement officers responding to Internet based child exploitation cases. Officers are receiving training on investigative techniques and best practices for effectively responding to referrals from Task Force agencies, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Cyber Tip line, and Peer-To-Peer based investigations. As a result of Task Force prosecutions, officers are also receiving forfeited items such as desktops, laptops, digital cameras, and hard drives.

In 2000, Prosecutor Bill Mason brought together various local, state, and federal agencies throughout Northeast Ohio to create a task force to combat Internet predators. In 2003, Bill Mason was asked by the U.S. Department of Justice to expand the Task Force statewide and to serve as the Chairman of the Task Force. The Task Force has grown into 297 law enforcement partner agencies: 154 Police Departments, 71 County Sheriffs, 61 County Prosecutors, and 11 other agencies that include the FBI, U.S. Treasury, U.S. Attorney, Metropark Rangers, U.S. Marshals, U.S. Secret Service, and U.S. Customs Service.

Last year, the Task Force conducted Ohio's largest investigation into child pornography. The investigation targeted the most prolific traders of child pornography in Cuyahoga County. More than 150 law enforcement officers from 45 agencies executed 62 search warrants on homes in 20 communities around Cuyahoga County. The investigation resulted in indictments against forty-one defendants for possessing or sharing child pornography.