Grants and cooperative agreements; availability, etc.: Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Training and Technical Assistance Program,
[Federal Register: August 17, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 158)]
[Notices]
[Page 44807-44811]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17au99-120]
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Part III
Department of Justice
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Training and Technical Assistance Program; Notice
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
[OJP (OJJDP)-1242]
RIN 1121-ZB76
Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Training and Technical Assistance Program
AGENCY: Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Justice.
ACTION: Announcement of Discretionary Competitive Assistance Grant.
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), pursuant to Public Law 105-277, October 19, 1998, the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriation Act of 1999, is requesting applications from organizations to provide a training and technical assistance program that will assist OJJDP in developing and delivering programs and activities designed to counter the computer-facilitated sexual exploitation of children. Congress has directed OJJDP to sponsor ``town meetings to focus on cybercrimes against children in local communities across the country'' and to deliver ``highly technical sophisticated computer training for State and local law enforcement.'' In addition to town meetings, activities will include delivering computer forensic training to State and local law enforcement officers, and providing OJJDP with the technical assistance capacity to administer the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC Task Force) Program.
DATES: Applications must be received by October 1, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Interested applicants must obtain an application kit from the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at 800-638-8736. The application kit is also available at OJJDP's Web site at www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/grants/ about.html/#kit.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Medaris, ICAC Task Force Program Manager, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, 202-616-8937.
This is not a toll-free number.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose
This program has two purposes. The first is to assist State and local law enforcement agencies enhance their investigative response to sexual exploitation of children by offenders using the Internet, online communication systems, or other computer technology. The second is to assist OJJDP to administer the ICAC Task Force Program through the provision of training and technical assistance and other activities as determined by OJJDP. For purposes of this program announcement, ``Internet crimes against children'' refers to sexual exploitation of children facilitated by computers and includes crimes of child pornography and online solicitation for sexual purposes.
Background
Industry experts estimate that more than 10 million children currently go online and, by the year 2002, 45 million children will use cyberspace to talk with friends, explore the universe, or complete homework assignments. While providing almost limitless opportunities to learn, the Internet has also become the new venue for predators seeking children to victimize. Cloaked in the anonymity of cyberspace, sex offenders can capitalize on the natural curiosity of children, seeking victims with little risk of detection. Preferential sex offenders ‹SUP›1‹/SUP› can roam from chat room to chat room trolling for children susceptible to victimization. This alarming trend has grave implications for parents, teachers, and law enforcement officers because it circumvents conventional safeguards in place for the physical world and provides sex offenders virtually unlimited opportunities for unsupervised contact with children.
\1\ For the purposes of this program, preferential sex offenders are defined as individuals whose primary sexual focus is on children.
The Internet has also become a major medium for distribution of child pornography. In 1982, in New York v. Ferber, 458 U.S. 747 (1982), the Supreme Court stated: ``The distribution of photographs and films depicting sexual activity by juveniles is intrinsically related to the sexual abuse of children . . . the materials produced are a permanent record of the children's participation and the harm to the child is exacerbated by their circulation.'' Child pornography not only depicts the sexual assault of a child, but is also used by child molesters to recruit, seduce, and control future victims. It is used to break down inhibitions, validate sex between children and adults as normal, and control the victim throughout the molestation. When the offender loses interest, it is often used as blackmail to ensure the child's silence and in these most egregious cases, child pornography allows the molester to go unpunished and the victim untreated. It is clear to OJJDP that the intersecting of the increasing online presence of children, the proliferation of child pornography, and preferential sex offenders ceaselessly searching for unsupervised contact with underage victims presents a significant threat to the health and safety of children.
In response to this threat, Congress in the FY 1998 Omnibus Appropriations Act, Public Law 105-119, authorized OJJDP to stimulate the creation of ``State and local law enforcement cyber units to investigate child sexual exploitation.'' In September 1998, with 10 awards to State and local law enforcement agencies across the Nation, OJJDP initiated a national program to counter the emerging threat of offenders using the Internet or other online technology to sexually exploit children. Designed to encourage communities to adopt a multidisciplinary, multijurisdictional response to online enticement and child pornography cases, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC Task Force) Program ensures that participating State and local law enforcement agencies can acquire the necessary knowledge, equipment, and personnel resources to prevent, interdict, or investigate ICAC offenses. Under this program, ICAC Task forces serve as regional sources of prevention, education, and investigative expertise to provide assistance to parents, teachers, law enforcement, and other professionals working on child victimization issues.
Agencies receiving ICAC Task Force Program funding in FY 1998 were Bedford County, Virginia, Sheriff's Department; Broward County, Florida, Sheriff's Department; Colorado Springs, Colorado, Police Department; Dallas, Texas, Police Department; Illinois State Police; New York State Division of Criminal Justices Services; Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Police Department; Sacramento County, California, Sheriff's Office; the South Carolina Office of the Attorney General; and the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
Under a cooperative agreement with OJJDP, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) also plays a crucial role in enhancing the national response to Internet crimes against children by providing a wide range of activities including the CyberTipline, which provides a way for children, parents, and concerned citizens to report information online about suspected child exploitation activity to law enforcement; prevention and education programs; and training courses for law enforcement. For example, NCMEC's Protecting Children
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Online course provides investigators specific information regarding behavior characteristics, technical demands of Internet investigations, interviewing and interrogation techniques, and other aspects of law enforcement essential to effective investigation of these offenses. Its Protecting Children Online Unit Commander Seminar focuses on the broader policy and procedural issues that confront law enforcement managers developing strategies for responding to Internet crimes against children.
In FY 1999, OJJDP will provide continuation funding to the 10 original task forces. It will also expand the ICAC Task Force Program by adding 8 new agencies.
OJJDP ICAC Task Force Program Management
Nearly all law enforcement investigations start with a determination of jurisdiction and in making that determination, time, place, and location are important considerations. However, this conventional approach is virtually meaningless in the electronic world of cyberspace, and preferential sex offenders have quickly developed substantial expertise in adapting this ambiguity to further their criminal activities.
Few ICAC cases begin and end within the same jurisdiction, and investigations usually cross town, State, or even international borders. Accordingly, nearly all ICAC investigations involve multiple jurisdictions and require interagency coordination and communication. Absent meaningful case coordination, it is likely that law enforcement will simultaneously investigate identical suspects and organizations or target undercover operatives of other law enforcement agencies. Lack of communication can also contribute to law enforcement officers inadvertently disrupting clandestine investigations of other agencies.
The obvious need for interagency cooperation and coordination also stimulates interest in establishing standards for ICAC undercover investigations. Representatives from Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies have repeatedly expressed concern about initiating investigations based on outside agency referrals that may be predicated on information acquired through inappropriate officer conduct or investigative techniques.
The clandestine nature of undercover operations along with the Internet's metaphysical aspect significantly increases these concerns. Undercover operations, when executed and documented properly, collect virtually unassailable evidence regarding a suspect's predilection to sexually exploit children. These operations allow law enforcement to go on the offensive and--what is most important--children do not have to be victimized to bring a case. While there is substantial consensus that carefully managed undercover operations by well-trained officers are very effective, they also generate significant concerns regarding legal, coordination, communication, and resource management issues.
To address these concerns, OJJDP has established ICAC Task Force operational and investigative standards (Standards) through a collaborative process with the 10 original ICAC Task Force agencies and Federal prosecutorial and law enforcement agencies.‹SUP›2‹/SUP› The Standards were designed by the Task Force agencies to foster information sharing, coordinate investigations, ensure the probative quality of undercover operations, and facilitate interagency case referrals through standardization of investigative practices.
\2\ Participating in development of the Standards were representatives from the United States Customs Service (USCS), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and--from the Department of Justice--OJJDP, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) of the Criminal Division, and the Executive Office for United States Attorneys.
OJJDP has also established an ICAC Task Force Review Board (Board), composed of local prosecutors and law enforcement executives from participating agencies, to review proposed undercover operations for compliance with the principles of the Standards, formulate policy, encourage case coordination, and facilitate information sharing on trends, investigative techniques, and prosecution strategies.
In sum, program management for the OJJDP ICAC Task Force involves:
‹bullet› Ensuring that ICAC Task Force personnel are adequately trained and equipped.
‹bullet› Maintaining ICAC investigative standards to facilitate interagency case referrals.
‹bullet› Advocating coordination and collaboration among Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies investigating ICAC offenses.
‹bullet› Fostering meaningful information sharing to avoid redundant investigations or disruptive activities to ongoing investigations of other agencies.
‹bullet› Maintaining an advisory board to review undercover operations proposals and to formulate policy for the operation of the ICAC Task Force Program.
Goal
To develop a training and technical assistance program to assist State and local law enforcement to respond to ICAC offenses and to assist OJJDP in supporting the ICAC Task Force Program.
Objectives
The project must accomplish the following objectives:
‹bullet› Develop and deliver a technical investigative course that complements the curriculum of NCMEC's Protecting Children Online course. This new technical investigative course must feature a hands-on approach and be capable of being offered regionally. It should provide information regarding legal issues, hardware and software specifications, evidence collection procedures, and specific investigative techniques to assist law enforcement to effectively respond to computer-facilitated sexual exploitation cases.
‹bullet› Using the ``town meeting'' concept, assist OJJDP and NCMEC to sponsor events to promote awareness and encourage jurisdictions to develop communitywide prevention and interdiction efforts related to ICAC offenses.
‹bullet› Develop a logistical support program to facilitate OJJDP ICAC Task Force Board meetings.
‹bullet› Develop a technical assistance capacity composed of a cadre of expert practitioners who have expertise in task force implementation including the development of multiagency response protocols, information sharing, performance measures, Federal grant reporting requirements, and investigative and technical aspects of ICAC investigations.
‹bullet› Develop an ICAC offense training and technical assistance directory that includes information regarding existing prevention and education programs and publications and provides a list of technical and investigative course providers that offer training relevant to ICAC investigations.
‹bullet› Develop an ongoing needs assessment system to assist OJJDP to plan future training and technical assistance programs.
Program Strategy
OJJDP is consolidating a wide range of training, technical assistance, and town meeting activities to achieve cost savings and to ensure that these activities are carried out with a consistent point of view and comply with the OJJDP ICAC Task Force
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Standards. Because the Standards contain sensitive investigative information, they will not be made available to organizations during the application phase of this program. However, for the purposes of responding to this request for proposals, applicants should be aware that the Standards express broad law enforcement themes that pertain to target selection, supervision, media releases, evidence collection procedures, undercover conduct, and other issues regarding ICAC investigations. OJJDP will make the Standards available to the successful applicant once the award is made.
During the implementation of these activities, the applicant will be expected to collaborate with NCMEC and to work closely with OJJDP.
Eligibility Requirements
OJJDP invites applications from public and private nonprofit agencies. Joint applications from two or more eligible applicants are welcome; however, one applicant must be clearly indicated as the primary applicant (for correspondence, award, and management purposes) and the others indicated as coapplicants.
Selection Criteria
OJJDP will convene a peer review panel to evaluate and rank applications and to make a funding recommendation to the OJJDP Administrator. Although peer review recommendations are given weight, they are advisory only and the final award decision will be made by the OJJDP Administrator. OJJDP will negotiate specific terms of the award with applicants being considered for the award. Applicants will be rated and evaluated according to the criteria outlined below.
Problem(s) To Be Addressed (10 points)
The applicant should clearly demonstrate an understanding of the program concept and in particular, an understanding of a program requiring reconciliation of Federal oversight responsibilities with the interests of State and local law enforcement agencies.
Goals and Objectives (10 points)
Applicants must establish goals and objectives for this program that are clearly defined, measurable, and attainable.
Project Design (25 points)
The applicant must present a clear workplan that contains program elements directly linked to the achievement of the project objectives. The workplan must indicate significant project milestones, product due dates, and the nature of the products to be delivered. In addition, applicant should present a clear concept of how it intends to deliver a technical computer investigative course that is designed to be offered regionally and features a hands-on approach.
Management and Organizational Capability (40 points)
The project's management structure and staffing must be appropriate for the successful implementation of the project. Applicants must present resumes of staff (either permanent or contractual) with expertise in meeting logistics, computer forensics, curriculum development, and law enforcement task force implementation and maintenance issues. Applicants must also present a workplan that identifies responsible individuals, their time commitment, and their relation to major tasks and milestones.
The applicant's organizational ability to administer the project successfully must be clearly documented in the proposal and should include available computer technology to be utilized in attaining the objectives. Documentation must include past or current organizational experience in the subject areas and skills required to achieve the objectives and with projects of the magnitude and complexity described in this program announcement. In addition, applicants must demonstrate an ability and history of handling sensitive information in a confidential and prudent manner.
Budget (15 points)
Applicants must provide a proposed budget that is complete, detailed, reasonable, allowable, and cost effective in relation to the activities to be undertaken. Applicants should consider the following OJJDP expectations for budget planning purposes:
‹bullet› Deliver at least 8 regional sessions of the technical investigative course with a projected capacity of no less than 20 students.
‹bullet› Design, support, and deliver at least four town meetings. (OJJDP anticipates centering these activities around existing ICAC Task Force jurisdictions.)
‹bullet› Facilitate eight ICAC Task Force Board meetings. Although transportation and lodging expenses of Board members will be the responsibility of individual ICAC Task Forces, all other activities or expenses associated with Board meetings will be the responsibility of the applicant. This includes, but is not limited to, identifying and securing meeting space, providing onsite support, communicating with Board members regarding meeting arrangements, arranging for audiovisual equipment as necessary, and reimbursing travel and lodging expenses of guest speakers (no more than two per meeting).
‹bullet› Perform a technical assistance function ranging from telephone consultation to direct onsite support, using a cadre of expert practitioners. At the direction of OJJDP, technical assistance will be provided to assist ICAC Task Forces to comply with the Standards, assist the Board to formulate and document operational by- laws for the Program, and based on the availability of funds, assist other jurisdictions interested in improving their response to ICAC offenses.
Format
The narrative must not exceed 35 pages in length (excluding forms, assurances, and appendixes) and must be submitted on 8\1/2\ by 11-inch paper, double-spaced on one side of the paper in a standard 12-point font. These requirements are necessary to maintain fair and uniform standards among all applicants. If the narrative does not conform to these standards, OJJDP will deem the application ineligible for consideration.
Award Period
The project will be funded as a cooperative agreement for up to an 18-month budget and project period. Funding of the project in subsequent budget periods will be contingent upon OJJDP's assessment of continuing need, availability of funds, and the performance of the grantee.
Award Amount
OJJDP intends to award one cooperative agreement of up to $400,000 for an 18-month project period.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number
For this program, the CFDA number, which is required on Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance, is 16.543. This form is included in OJJDP's Application Kit, which can be obtained by calling the Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse at 800-638-8736 or sending an e-mail request to puborder@ncjrs.org. The kit is also available online at www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org/grants/about.html#kit.
Coordination of Federal Efforts
To encourage better coordination among Federal agencies in addressing State and local needs, the U.S. Department of Justice is requesting
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applicants to provide information on the following: (1) active Federal grant award(s) supporting this or related efforts, including awards from the U.S. Department of Justice; (2) any pending application(s) for Federal funds for this or related efforts; and (3) plans for coordinating any funds described in items (1) or (2) with the funding sought by this application. For each Federal award, applicants must include the program or project title, the Federal grantor agency, the amount of the award, and a brief description of its purpose.
``Related efforts'' is defined for these purposes as one of the following:
‹bullet› Efforts for the same purpose (i.e., the proposed award would supplement, expand, complement, or continue activities funded with other Federal grants).
‹bullet› Another phase or component of the same program or project (e.g., to implement a planning effort funded by other Federal funds or to provide a substance abuse treatment or education component within a criminal justice project).
‹bullet› Services of some kind (e.g., technical assistance, research, or evaluation) to the program or project described in the application.
Delivery Instructions
All application packages should be mailed or delivered to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, c/o Juvenile Justice Resource Center, 2277 Research Boulevard, Mail Stop 2K, Rockville, MD 20850; 301-519-5535. Note: In the lower left-hand corner of the envelope, the applicant must clearly write ``Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Training and Technical Assistance Program.''
Due Date
Applicants are responsible for ensuring that the original and five copies of the application package are received by 5 p.m. EDT on October 1, 1999.
Contact
For further information, call Michael Medaris, Program Manager, ICAC Task Force Program Manager, 202-616-3637, or send an e-mail inquiry to medarism@ojp.usdoj.gov.
References
Burgess, A., and Grant, C. 1988. Children Traumatized in Sex Rings. Arlington, VA: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Cage, R., and Pence, D. 1997. Criminal Investigation of Child Sexual Abuse. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Dressler, K. 1997. Multijurisdictional Task Forces: Ten Years of Research and Evaluation: A Report to the Attorney General. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance. Farley, R., and Lanning, K. 1997. Understanding and Investigating Child Sexual Exploitation. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Fuller, K., and Saywitz, K. 1997. Interviewing Child Witnesses and Victims of Sexual Abuse. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Hammerschlag, M. 1997. Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Child Sexual Abuse. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Lanning, K. 1992. Child Molesters: A Behavioral Analysis for Law Enforcement Officers Investigating Cases of Child Sexual Exploitation. Arlington, VA: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Lanning, K. 1992. Child Sex Rings: A Behavioral Analysis for Criminal Justice Professionals Handling Cases of Child Sexual Exploitation. Arlington, VA: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Magid, L. 1994. Child Safety on the Information Highway (pamphlet). Arlington, VA: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 1994. Magid, L. 1998. Teen Safety on the Information Highway (pamphlet). Arlington, VA: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 1998. Know the Rules (pamphlet). Arlington, VA: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Quarantiello, L. 1997. Cyber Crime: How to Protect Yourself from Computer Criminals. Lake Geneva, WI: Tiare Publications. Rosenblatt, K. 1995. High-Technology Crime: Investigating Cases Involving Computers. San Jose, CA: KSK Publications. Whitcomb, D. 1995 Child Sexual Exploitation: Improving Investigations and Protecting Victims: A Blueprint for Action. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime.
Dated: August 11, 1999. John J. Wilson, Deputy Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
[FR Doc. 99-21228Filed8-16-99; 8:45 am]
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