Dear Friends,
For the many responsibilities of my office, there are few that are so personal, so morally imperative, as the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (“ICAC”) Unit of our Criminal Law Division. The ICAC Unit identifies, investigates, arrests, and prosecutes those individuals who use the internet to exploit and abuse children in Idaho. These predators create, collect, and distribute child sexual abuse material, target children for abuse, and share their activities, strategies, and materials with a worldwide network of pedophiles.
Stopping these predators is a top priority for my office. If I was only able to accomplish this one goal amidst everything else that we have done, I would still sleep very soundly at night and without any regret. In a legal and political world often populated with frustrating shades of gray, this is a starkly black and white issue with zero middle ground.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t always been that way. When I took office in January of 2023, there was a backlog of over 1500 tips that needed further review and potential investigations. Each tip could be a child who is being or has been sexually exploited. It was unacceptable that so many tips had been left lingering, and we took decisive action.
We revamped the ICAC Unit with a new Commander and a new focus on prioritizing the elimination of the backlog; we brought on analysts who specialize in triaging tips to prevent any backlog in the future; and we assigned two attorneys in my office to prosecute ICAC cases.
The changes worked: I am proud to say that our 1500 tip backlog was eliminated in short order—even though the number of tips we continue to receive has grown at an alarming rate. Last year, we received just over 2,400 tips. Based on the tips received so far, we estimate we will receive more than 3,500 tips this year.
Nevertheless, tips are now reviewed and investigated without delay. In years past, it took an average of 10 or more days for a tip to be reviewed, and some tips referred for investigation sat for years. No more. From the time we reorganized the ICAC Task Force until today, the average time for a tip to be reviewed is less than one day. And tips referred for investigation are assigned immediately.
The work we do is only possible because of our incredible partners, starting with the Idaho legislature. Last session, the legislature passed laws to better protect Idaho’s children by criminalizing the use of artificial intelligence to make child sexual abuse material and the use of a real child’s identity to create an image that appears to show the sexual abuse of that child.
The legislature also provides resources that make it possible for us to partner with local law enforcement agencies in a uniquely Idaho way. We currently have agreements with nine local law enforcement agencies throughout the state under which a detective from the local agency serves in the ICAC Unit in exchange for state funds that cover the detective’s time. These nine agencies include 1) Boise Police Department, 2) Meridian Police Department, 3) Rupert Police Department, 4) Pocatello Police Department, 5) Idaho Falls Police Department, 6) Moscow Police Department, 7) Coeur d’Alene Police Department, 8) Post Falls Police Department and 9) Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office. We’re also looking to add two more agencies to the list soon.
Our ICAC partnerships include more than just these paid affiliates. The ICAC Unit acts as the lead agency of the Idaho ICAC Task Force—a multi-jurisdictional coalition of more than 100 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that investigate and prosecute individuals who use the internet or other technology to criminally exploit children. We provide resources in the form of technology and training to these partner agencies as they work to combat child exploitation in their respective jurisdictions. The one thing that binds us all together in this fight is the unshakable goal of protecting our kids from predators.
We also have an incredible partner in the U.S. Attorney for Idaho, Josh Hurwit. His office has stood with us as we investigate and prosecute these cases. I’m grateful for his commitment to the children and families of Idaho.
Of course, this work is not about statistics and partnerships. We do this to protect real children from real harm. I’m reminded of that fact every time I receive a phone call informing me that we arrested a perpetrator who was physically abusing a child.
You may not see it covered in the media, but we are averaging one arrest per week and from every corner of Idaho. I’m torn on whether that number should be celebrated as a great success against the pedophile networks in our state, or if I should be dismayed there is clearly so much work to be done and so many children in danger. Each case is filled with heartbreaking details, and as a parent and grandparent, I am horrified those who prey on children walk amongst us every day. These arrests haven’t slowed down, but the sickness and perversion that drives them doesn’t take weekends or holidays off. It’s always there, and we must be as well.
