Image Above: Left to Right — Attorney General Raúl Labrador, K-9 Badger, ICAC Investigator Lauren Lane
My personal philosophy is that the government, in general, should do a lot less. But whatever tasks remain, it should do very well. That’s certainly the case for our office’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit, where our team investigates and prosecutes those accused of using the internet to exploit, extort and abuse children, including crimes of enticement and child pornography.
Over the last two years, our ICAC Unit has exceeded every expectation and metric for performance that we’ve set. Idaho’s ICAC continues to raise the bar and even serves as a nationwide model for other states to follow. It delivers real results for the people of Idaho when it comes to protecting our children and keeping predators off the streets and behind bars.
In support of our ongoing efforts to keep kids safe, I am pleased to introduce the newest team member of ICAC: K-9 Badger. Badger, a two-year-old English Labrador, is specifically trained to detect hidden electronic storage devices, like SD cards, flash drives, concealed cameras, hard drives, cell phones, and other technology used to store child sexual abuse material, or CSAM. K-9s like Badger are invaluable on search warrants when suspects conceal devices containing child pornography.
Some K-9s sniff for drugs or bombs and the chemical signatures unique to those items, picked up by the incredibly sensitive canine noses. The science is no different with Badger. He is trained to detect a very specific chemical, triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO), sprayed on all electronic circuit boards during the manufacturing process to dissipate heat. Badger is one of only 195 K-9s worldwide trained to detect TPPO, even in challenging environments, including underwater. Badger is a potent weapon for our ICAC investigators.
In addition to detecting electronic storage devices. Badger is also dual certified as a therapy dog and will assist with relatives and victims during search warrants and throughout the legal process. Badger will also accompany his handler during educational presentations throughout Idaho.
Badger joins a dedicated team of ICAC professionals in my office, and a growing ICAC network of affiliated law enforcement agencies across Idaho, sharing resources and intelligence to investigate and prosecute these cases.
I’m happy to have another Labrador on the team!
