What is ICAC?

ICAC: It stands for Internet Crimes Against Children

Why do we need to know?
(information from presentation given by Kevin West, Special Agent in Charge, NC State Bureau of Investigaion Computer Crimes Unit at the Child Advocacy Centers of NC conference in September, 2008)

In one study of children who use the Internet:
1 in 4 reported unwanted exposure to nudity
1 in 5 reported sexual solicitation
1 in 17 reported that they were threatened or harassed
1 in 33 reported being asked to meet, phoned, or mailed

From the State Bureau of Investigation Website:
"Internet Crimes Against Children" (ICAC) is a nationwide network of law enforcement agencies and prosecutors dedicated to protecting children from online dangers. The United States Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention founded ICAC and provides funding for it.

North Carolina's ICAC Task Force is led by the State Bureau of Investigation, which is part of the North Carolina Department of Justice headed by Attorney General Roy Cooper. The ICAC Task Force assists local law enforcement agencies in tracking down predators who use the Internet to exploit children, and helps prosecutors when those cases go to court.

To read about the type of case where the task force provides assistance, go to: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/crime_safety/story/1255465.html

It is interesting to note that in the news article, it states that the perpetrator confessed to "sex addiction." That sounds so cleaned up, so different from confessing to exploitation of a minor or confessing to viewing child pornography. He plead guilty to 10 counts of second-degree exploitation of a minor. Sound troubling to you? His sentence is 20 days of weekend jail and five years of probation.

Feel free to share your opinion here.