The Iowa County Sheriff's Office Joins the Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force

MADISON — The Iowa County Sheriff's Office has joined the Wisconsin Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.

“Wisconsin's ICAC Task Force is a national leader, and within the past decade, the task force and affiliate agencies have arrested hundreds of suspects," Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said. “We are pleased to have the Iowa County Sheriff's Office as a member. The training of more officers by adding affiliates only furthers my mission to protect Wisconsin's children.”

As part of this affiliation, the Iowa County Sheriff's Office is eligible for:

• Reimbursement to help fund ICAC-related expenses, including computer hardware and software;
• Notification of and priority for sought-after ICAC-related training, offered both nationally and in Wisconsin;
• Investigative assistance from highly trained ICAC investigators and forensic computer analysts throughout the state;
• Access to the national ICAC email group;
• Recognition on both the Iowa County Sheriff's Office website, and on the Wisconsin Department of Justice website.

To learn more about the ICAC Task Force program at the Iowa County Sheriff's Office, contact Deputy Kyle Van Haren at 608-935-3314.

One in seven children is asked online to engage in sexual activities, sexual talk, or provide personal sexual information. Van Hollen has placed a priority on law enforcement's proactive response to the growing problem of internet crimes against children. To that end, Van Hollen has directed a 67% increase in the number of special agents assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force within the Division of Criminal Investigation. In 2011, the ICAC Task Force was responsible for arresting more than 100 child predators while, in the same year, more than 45,000 individuals in Wisconsin attended presentations on online child exploitation to further the agency's efforts to protect children.

In addition to expanding investigative capacity internally, Van Hollen and the Department of Justice have continued to add additional local affiliates to the Wisconsin ICAC Task Force. The number of local law enforcement partners to the Department of Justice's ICAC Task Force has increased to 177 since Attorney General Van Hollen took office. A list of affiliates

For more information on how your community can become an affiliate of the Wisconsin ICAC Task Force, contact Special Agent in Charge Jenniffer Price at (608) 266-1671.