Department of Justice Announces $1.2 Million in Grants to Protect Children from Sexual Exploitation

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has announced the award of four grants totaling $1.2 million to support the development of strategies that protect children from commercial and sexual exploitation.  These grants are part of the Department's national strategy to prevent and interdict child exploitation announced by Attorney General Eric Holder.

"Protecting our youth remains a priority with the Justice Department," said Laurie Robinson, Assistant Attorney General, OJP.  "We are determined to have strategies in place that prevent, and if necessary, rescue and help children recover from exploitation.  These grants will provide the resources necessary to reach the children and hold the perpetrators accountable."

OJP's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) will administer the awards, which will support selected Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces by making available improved training and coordination activities, help in developing policies and procedures to identify child victims, assistance in the investigation and prosecution of adult perpetrators and the identification and adoption of best practices for compassionate victim intervention. This grant program is authorized under the Providing Resources, Officers, and Technology to Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our Children Act of 2008, (P.L. 110-401, 42 USC 17601, et seq.) ("the PROTECT Act").  Eligible applicants under the competitive solicitation were the existing 61 ICAC Task Forces and affiliate law enforcement agencies.

Recipients include:

• County of Alameda, Oakland, CA ($300,000)
• Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Decatur, GA ($300,000)
• City of Boston, MA ($300,000)
• Cook County State's Attorney's Office, Chicago, IL ($299,999)

Information about the ICAC Task Forces can be found at http://ojjdp.ncjrs.gov/programs/index.html

In addition, OJP also announced the release of the bulletin Effects of Federal Legislation on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.  The bulletin describes the findings of an OJJDP study that examined the impact of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 on the federal prosecution of cases of children who were sexually exploited for commercial purposes. The bulletin is posted at http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/228631.pdf.

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP), headed by Assistant Attorney General Laurie O. Robinson, provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP has seven components: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; the Community Capacity Development Office, and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking.  More information about OJP can be found at http://www.ojp.gov

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SOURCE Office of Justice Programs - U.S. Department of Justice