Boise, ID – Today Attorney General Raul Labrador made his first presentation to the Joint Finance Committee (JFAC). In an effort to build up and strengthen the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (ICAC), the Attorney General has asked the committee for an additional $642,600. This will allow ICAC to hire four additional investigators & analysts.
The ICAC unit investigates and prosecutes criminals that exploit and abuse children. Without these additional funds ICAC cannot operate at full capacity and take on the current backlog of cases. The ICAC unit is crucial in keeping Idaho children safe and in order to operate to the best of the unit’s ability they need to be well funded and fully staffed. The unit currently has 11 AG employees and 10 affiliates from local law enforcement agencies. Since 2013, the number of annual referrals received by the office increased tenfold – from 223 referrals in 2013 to 2,304 referrals in 2022.
“I have asked the legislature to provide additional funds and investigators for the ICAC unit. When it comes to exploited and abused children my administration will focus all resources available to make sure we hold the perpetrators accountable. There is no crime more heinous than child exploitation and, as a father of five and grandfather of four, this issue is very close to my heart. As long as I am serving as the Attorney General, I will strive to protect Idaho children and will vigorously punish the criminals that go after them,” Attorney General Labrador said.
