Training Conducted For School Officials On Internet Crimes Against Children

EDUCATION And SAFETY News:
 
LAS CRUCES  Third Judicial District Attorney Mark D’Antonio and prosecutors from the District Attorney’s Office hosted a free, informational workshop on Internet Crimes Against Children.
 
About 30 teachers, counselors, administrators, IT specialists and security officers from Las Cruces Public Schools attended the workshop, as did several local law enforcement officers. 

“As a prosecutor and as a father, I understand how critically important it is to keep the children of our community safe from child predators,” D’Antonio said. “It requires diligence and vigilance, and those who suspect a child is being victimized or exploited have a duty to report that. Working closely with our partners in Las Cruces Public Schools, we are able to teach them what to look for and how to go about reporting any suspicions to authorities.”

The workshop was presented in cooperation with the New Mexico Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Las Cruces Police Department, Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Department, New Mexico State University Police Department, New Mexico State Police and the New Mexico Department of Public Safety. The workshop was funded through a grant from the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department.

“It is very important that if New Mexicans suspect that the abuse or neglect of a child is occurring that they contact #SAFE,” said Children, Youth, and Families Department Secretary Monique Jacobson. “No one agency, provider or person can help our children alone. It is up to all of us to pull together to improve the quality of life for our children.”

The District Attorney’s Office invited local school personnel and law enforcement officers to attend the workshop to learn about procedures and protocols for reporting, investigating and prosecuting Internet Crimes Against Children — including sexting, the “dark web,” and how social media and the Internet is used in the exploitation of children.

Anthony Maez, Special Agent in Charge of New Mexico’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, explained to attendees how the Attorney General’s Office works closely with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to identify victims and investigate allegations of crime. The New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is comprised of 85 law enforcement agencies across the state.

“The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force plays a vital role in building partnerships in the law enforcement community to better protect the children of New Mexico,” New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas said. “By teaching educators and school personnel how to identify red flags, we hope that child victims can be identified more quickly and further victimization can be prevented.”

LCPD Officer Max Weir, who specializes in data recovery from cell phones and other electronic devices, discussed current investigative techniques utilized by the department. Prosecutors from the District Attorney’s Office explained current state statutes, the duty of school personnel to report suspected exploitation, and the DA’s role in bringing these crimes to justice.

Attendees also learned about future programs, prevention and training opportunities, and the ways in which working together can help create a safer environment for New Mexico’s youth. 

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