ICACIdaho.org will serve as a digital resource for parents and educators to help protect children from online predators
(Boise) – Attorney General Lawrence Wasden has announced the launch of a new outreach tool in the fight against those who use digital technology to prey on Idaho children. The new Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit website – ICACIdaho.org – launched November 1.
The website includes numerous resources for parents and educators to use when teaching young people about the potential risks associated with being online.
“The internet and devices like smartphones and tablets are tremendous in that they give us access to information like never before,” Wasden said. “But they can also facilitate unwanted contact between our children and some of society’s worst actors. I hope adults will familiarize themselves with the new website and use it to start conversations with young people about how they can protect themselves online.”
In addition to material designed for adults, some resources are presented in ways that address children directly. Featured content includes online safety rules for younger kids, teens and parents, as well as links to expert national organizations such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and The Alicia Project. ICACIdaho.org also includes a sex offender registry map for all 50 states.
ICAC Unit Commander Christopher McCormick led the development of the new site.
“My investigators and I see every day what can happen when adults with bad intentions gain access to children through digital technology,” McCormick said. “Education is the best way to address this issue before it becomes a problem and children find themselves in dangerous situations. We’ve compiled many helpful resources in one location to assist with that educational process.”
Anyone with information regarding the exploitation of children is encouraged to contact local police, the Attorney General’s ICAC Unit at 208-947-8700, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678.
The Attorney General’s ICAC Unit works with the Idaho ICAC Task Force, a coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, to investigate and prosecute individuals who use digital technology to criminally exploit children.
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