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"ERIK TEAMS UP WITH THE SAFE SURFIN' FOUNDATION & INTERNET CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN TASK FORCES"

Erik has now joined forces with the Safe Surfin' Foundation & Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces around the country to protect our nation’s children from the sexual predators who prowl the Internet looking for their next victim. Their Task Forces are located throughout the United States and stand ready to offer assistance to the law enforcement community, and to the citizens they are sworn to protect. Please continue reading to learn more about these amazing projects and their dedication to fighting crimes against this country's youth.

(ERIK IN TRAINING - HAVING AN ACTUAL CONVERSATION WITH A SEXUAL PREDATOR)

INTERNET CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN TASK FORCES

  • In September 1998, with 10 awards to State and local law enforcement agencies across the Nation, The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, began a national program to counter the emerging threat of offenders using the Internet or other online technology to sexually exploit children.
  • The Bedford County VA Sheriff’s Office was one of the original ten task forces and was assigned responsibility for Internet crimes against children investigations in Virginia and later West Virginia, the task force was named Operation Blue Ridge Thunder.
  • There are now forty-six (46) Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces throughout the United states and hundreds of affiliate local, county and state law enforcement agencies.
  • The Bedford County VA Sheriff’s Office Task Force is known as the Southern Virginia Crimes Against Children Task Force (SOVA ICAC) and is responsible for most of Virginia and all of West Virginia, the West VA State Police assists with all investigations in West Virginia.
  • The SOVA ICAC promotes additional ICAC program capacity through a written Memorandum of Agreement with agencies.
  • SOVA ICAC Task Force affiliate agencies include local, county and state law enforcement, local prosecutors, U.S. Attorney’s, State Attorney Generals, U.S. Marshalls Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Secret Service, A.T.F., and the F.B.I..
  • The VA State Police task force is known as the Northern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (NOVA ICAC) and is responsible for the most northern counties in Virginia and Washington, D.C.
  • The primary responsibilities of the SOVA ICAC task forces includes:
    1. Conducting investigations and prosecuting offenders,
    2. Providing training for law enforcement officers and prosecutors,
    3. Fostering statewide and regional coordination, information sharing and investigative integration,
    4. Providing investigative and prosecutorial assistance to law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, (e.g., forensic analysis of computers seized as evidence),
    5. Distributing informational materials needed to ensure that children, parents, school divisions, and law enforcement agencies are well acquainted with the issues related to Internet safety for children,
    6. Presenting Internet safety training that focuses on promoting Internet safety, with an emphasis on Internet crimes against children.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON ICAC OR MISSING KIDS, PLEASE CONTACT US AT:

www.icactraining.org or www.missingkids.com.

 

 

SAFE SURFIN' FOUNDATION

  • The Bedford County VA Sheriff’s Office formed The Safe Surfin’ Foundation in 2000 to increase Internet safety training and to lobby for mandatory Internet safety training in public schools throughout the United States.
  • The mission of the Safe Surfin’ Foundation is to implement and continually support nationwide Internet safety education for all students K-12 and their parents by providing training, technical assistance, and educational materials at NO COST to the recipients.
  • Safe Surfin’ Foundation programs include public speaking appearances for parental and community groups, in-school presentations for students, ‘train the trainer’ seminars, and printed Internet safety information materials.
  • The Safe Surfin’ Foundation has become the national leader in the development, implementation, and training for mandatory Internet safety educational programs.
  • The Safe Surfin’ Foundation is a non-profit 501(c) 3 corporation.
  • The Safe Surfin’ Foundation believes that Internet safety education MUST be fact based, non-threatening, and interactive to fully meet student’s educational needs.
  • The Safe Surfin’ Foundation believes that Internet safety education MUST begin during children’s most impressionable years (5 to 8) and MUST be reinforced throughout their educational experience to ensure that the important safety concepts they learn are not forgotten.
  • The Safe Surfin’ Foundation believes that educating parents about Internet safety is as important as educating youth about Internet safety as the lessons youth learn in school must be reinforced at home by parents.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO PROTECT YOUR CHILDERN ON-LINE, PLEASE CONTACT THE SAFE SURFIN' FOUNDATION AT:

www.safesurfin.org