HISTORY

The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program (ICAC) is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces representing more than 4,500 federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies. These agencies are engaged in both proactive and reactive investigations, forensic examinations, and criminal prosecutions. By helping state and local agencies develop effective, sustainable responses to online child victimization – including responses to child sexual abuse images, the ICAC Program has increased law enforcements capacity to combat technology facilitated crimes against children at every level.

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The ICAC Program was developed in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the Internet and other technology, the proliferation of child sexual abuse images available electronically, and the heightened online activity by predators seeking unsupervised contact with potential underage victims. Because ICAC Members understand that arrests alone cannot resolve the problem of technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation, the ICAC Program is also dedicated to training law enforcement officers and prosecutors, as well as educating parents and youth about the potential dangers of online activity.

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The NW Regional ICAC Conference was born in 2015 out of a growing need for reliable, relevant, professional and engaging training for Internet Crimes Against Children task forces that was available west of the Mississippi River. 

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8th Annual NW Regional ICAC Conference - Recap

The 2022 NW Regional Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) conference was an incredible success! This year’s event took place during the first week in October, and boasted record attendance levels, new features, 27 exhibitor tables, and a variety of educational sessions taught by experts in the field.  

The three-day conference welcomed a total of 672 attendees and featured 118 speakers who presented a total of 130 sessions, including a course on ‘Advanced Interview Techniques’ by world renowned forensic psychologist Dr. Joe Sullivan. A known expert in his field, Dr. Sullivan has worked in law enforcement since 1996, assisting with investigations into sexually motivated crimes against children. He is internationally recognized as a leader in interviewing suspects who have a sexual interest in children and has been commended for his work. His training provides investigators with the tools and knowledge needed to conduct interviews in ways that improve outcomes for survivors of sexual crimes.   

Brand new to the conference was the SPF- hosted VIP wine tasting event, which took place in the evening on Tuesday, October 4 at Guardian Cellars in Woodinville.

We’d like to thank this year’s team of conference sponsors, including Cellebrite, Google, OUR, Griffeye, Meta, SEARCH, NCJTC, and Fox Valley Technical College. Additional thanks goes out to our 27 exhibitors, whose contribution and presence at the conference allows our attendees to learn about the newest industry-leading tools and technology to assist in these investigations.

As lead agency of the WA ICAC Task Force, SPD strives to keep this annual conference free for attendees to ensure its accessibility to all who wish to attend, no matter the agency size or budget, which is why sponsorship is so key. This conference is a unique opportunity to leverage collaboration and expertise among investigators, prosecutors, advocates, educators, tech industry professionals, and all others in the arena of keeping kids safe in our region, across the nation, and around the world.

Over 15 countries were represented at this year’s conference.

Sponsorship is crucial to the continued success of this conference and our team is grateful for the generosity of the conference sponsors. Because of this resounding support, the WA ICAC TF was able to provide grants for hotel/travel expenses to roughly 60 smaller agencies in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, that wished to attend but lacked travel budget.

The WA ICAC Task Force is currently looking for sponsors for the 2023 conference. If you have questions or are interested, or know anyone who would like to help, please reach out to ICAC Strategic Advisor Kelly Crouch at: Kelly.Crouch@seattle.gov. 

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Lastly, huge thanks to conference partner Microsoft for hosting for the past eight years and continuing to be a co-host and partner!

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