Attorney General Charity Clark today released 2024 statistics from the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), located in her office, showing an increase in the number of CyberTips, or reports of child sexual abuse materials online. In 2024, VT-ICAC received 1,082 CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a substantial increase from the 853 CyberTips received in 2023. VT-ICAC completed 293 investigations, executed 98 search warrants, and effectuated 41 prosecutions statewide in 2024. The Attorney General’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Vermont State Police, and other county and state municipal law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies participated in this life-saving work.
Also in 2024, the VT-ICAC team gained a new electronic storage detection police dog, K9 Investigator Kaia, to join K9 Mojo, who is approaching retirement. The K9s aid their human counterparts in the execution of search warrants by searching for concealed electronic storage devices containing evidence of the crimes.
VT-ICAC investigates cases of child sexual exploitation occurring over the internet, including the production and online distribution of child sexual abuse materials (formerly known as child pornography), with the mission to prevent the victimization and exploitation of children. VT-ICAC also provides forensic examination services, technical assistance, law enforcement training, and public education and outreach.
“I am so proud of the incredible work of VT-ICAC, which is truly life-saving for the children who are rescued from abuse as a result of their intervention,” said Attorney General Clark. “I want to thank VT-ICAC Commander Matt Raymond for his leadership, the human and K9 investigators, the prosecutors, our wonderful victim’s advocate, and other law enforcement agencies for our partnerships.”
“I’ve been doing this work for 14 years, and I know what a difference it makes in the lives of the children who have been abused,” said Matt Raymond, Commander of VT-ICAC. “These cases stay with me. But I continue to be committed to this work because there are more Vermont kids who need our help, and who need us to stop the abuse they’re experiencing.”
VT-ICAC offered the following tips for parents and guardians to keep kids safe from exploitation online:
- Be mindful of the information you and your children share online, especially on social media. Any photo or video of your child shared online could fall into the wrong hands.
- Get involved in your children’s digital lives in the same way you are involved in their everyday lives. Be aware of where your children are going online, review the apps they are using, monitor their use, set boundaries, and keep communicating with your children about their safety.
- Don’t let the fear of scaring your children keep you from arming them with the information they need to stay safe. Build trust so that they feel comfortable sharing their experiences and remember that children should never be blamed for their own exploitation.
Every child deserves a safe childhood. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) is the nation’s centralized reporting system for the online exploitation of children. Anyone can make reports of suspected online enticement of children for sexual acts, child sexual molestation, child sexual abuse material, child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, unsolicited obscene materials sent to a child, misleading domain names, and misleading words or digital images on the internet. To make a report, call the 24-hour call center at 1-800-843-5678 or visit https://report.cybertip.org.
Additionally, if you are recovering from child sexual exploitation, you do not have to navigate it alone. NCMEC can help with emotional and peer support, removing content from the internet, and locating mental health professionals. For more information, please visit https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/csam-resources or call the 24-hour call center at 1-800-843-5678.
CONTACT: Amelia Vath, Outreach and Communications Coordinator, 802-828-3171