PC: Fox 11 Online
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — An annual conference aims to aid in the advancement against child abuse online.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force today kicked off the 5th annual ICAC Conference on Missing and Exploited Children at the Hilton Appleton Paper Valley Hotel Tuesday.
The conference provides nationwide training to ICAC Task Force members and affiliate agencies and other child-serving professionals from around the country.
More than 300 attendees from all over the country, and even some from abroad, are expected to attend the two-and-a-half-day conference.
The conference will include breakout sessions ranging in topics from basic investigations and case studies to advanced proactive investigative techniques. The conference will also include sessions that are dedicated to missing and abducted children.
“There’s no greater responsibility we have than keeping our kids safe,” said Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul. “Thank you to those participating in this conference and to all of the more than 300 Wisconsin ICAC Task Force affiliate agencies for your commitment to combating internet crimes against children.”
This year’s conference highlights the act of sextortion, which is a form of child sexual exploitation where children are threatened or blackmailed, most often with the possibility of sharing with the public a nude or sexual image of them, by a person who demands additional sexual content, sexual activity, or money from the child. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), in 2023, their CyberTipline received 186,819 reports of online enticement, which is the category that includes sextortion. NCMEC has seen a dramatic increase in financial sextortion where the offender demands money of the child. Teenage boys have been the most common targets in these recent cases. A majority of the suspects in these cases are located in Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire and the Philippines.
If you or someone you know has information on potential child exploitation, you can report it to NCMEC online or by calling 1-800-843-5678.
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