Expanding law enforcement to protect kids

Richmond – House Democratic Caucus Chairman Brian Moran made the following statement after the budget conference committee approved $1.5 million in funding for Alicia’s Law. The law, named after the a 13-year old victim of an online child sex predator, will expand regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces (ICAC) that will investigate, arrest and prosecute these predators. The ICAC reports more than 20,000 computers in Virginia with online child pornography, but ICAC only has the capacity to investigate and arrest approximately 2 percent of these cases. The final budget will be approved this Thursday afternoon.

“Today is a tremendous step in our efforts to protect Virginia’s children from the most violent, vile online predators. Every time you bring a computer into your home, you provide online predators with access to your children. Law enforcement officers have not had the resources to combat these crimes, but today we have taken a major first step by expanding two regional task forces to investigate and arrest these offenders.

As a former prosecutor and the father of two young children, I know there is no more important investment than protecting our kids. These task forces will be able to save thousands of children from unspeakable and unimaginable crimes. I thank the members of the House and the Senate who have worked to secure this important investment.”

The $1.5 million investment in Alicia’s Law will be split evenly between the Southern Virginia ICAC based in Bedford and the Northern Virginia ICAC based in Fairfax.