Despite widespread cuts in the budget, a few programs received increased funding. One such program is the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, housed within the Department of Justice. The Task Force investigates crimes against children that take place online, including child pornography and child enticement. Task Force members also provide training about these crimes to law enforcement personnel and other individuals and organizations.
The Task Force received an additional $1 million in funding for 11 positions in the budget. Three of those 11 positions will replace positions previously funded by federal stimulus dollars, while the remaining ones will add capacity to the Task Force with new criminal analysts, special agents, and other personnel. The Task Force was originally created in 1998 as part of a federal initiative to fight the online exploitation of children. It has grown from no dedicated personnel when first started to 30 staff at the end of the 2011-13 biennium.
The task force’s work has helped advance a number of criminal cases, including the successful investigation and prosecution of a football coach in Waukesha arrested for child pornography, the arrest of a suspect for soliciting sex with a child, and the conviction of a suspect for first-degree sexual assault of a child.
This investment in resources for the Task Force should lead to a further reduction in this extremely harmful category of crimes.
Ben Nerad
Tomorrow—Way #11: Elimination of the Wisconsin Covenant Program
About the series: “31 Ways in 31 Days” is a series of posts to the WCCF blog exploring the recently-passed biennial budget’s impact on children and families in Wisconsin. Each day in July, we are posting a description of one way the budget will affect kids and families, with an eye toward what should be done going forward to help improve outcomes and move us closer to the goal of making Wisconsin a place where every child has the opportunity to grow up, learn, and thrive in a safe, healthy, economically secure home and community.
