What and Who is the Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force

The Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (GICAC) is a virtual task force with no bricks and mortar to house the many participants. The administrative offices for GICAC are located at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Headquarters. The Director for the Task Force is the Special Agent in Charge of the GBI’s Financial Investigations Unit (FIU). Also housed at GBI Headquarters are two FIU Special Agents who coordinate GICAC investigations, along with the cyber tips received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NMEC). The GBI also has a Special Agent trained and equipped to conduct Internet crimes against children investigations in the following cities outside the Metro Atlanta area:
1. Thomasville (Southwest Georgia)
2. Douglas (Southeast Georgia)
3. Statesboro (Southeast Central and Coastal Georgia)
4. Thompson (East Central Georgia)
5. Milledgeville (Central Georgia)
6. Greenville (West Central Georgia)
7. Gainesville (North Georgia)

Within the GBI’s FIU is the GBI’s Forensic Computer Laboratory. The laboratory has four forensic computer specialists (FCS) trained to extract evidence from computer media. One FCS is assigned full time to process computer media seized in ICAC investigations and the other three FCS process ICAC evidence on a part time basis and as needed. GBI’s FIU also has the Internet Safety Coordinator (ISC) who works with local schools and communities to provide Internet Safety programs and presentations. In addition the ISC is trained in computer forensics and assists the FCSs when needed in processing seized ICAC computer media for evidence.

Through the Georgia CyberCrime Task Force (GCTF), GICAC has partnered with many federal agencies, other state agencies and local agencies, to share resources in ICAC investigations and Internet Safety programs. Partners on the investigative side include the FBI, the Secret Service and their Electronic Crime Task Force, Immigration Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.), the State Attorney General’s Office, the Georgia Technology Authority and many local law enforcement agencies and local prosecutor’s offices. Internet Safety program partners include Information System Forensic Association, the Information System Security Association, the FBI Atlanta InfraGard, FBI Savannah InfraGard, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, the Atlanta Chapter of High Tech Crime Investigation and officers from local law enforcement agencies throughout the state.

The Internet Safety partnership has over fifty Information System professional volunteers and over one hundred local law enforcement officers who have been vetted by the GBI to provide Internet Safety Programs. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) has partnered with GICAC to coordinate the efforts of these volunteers. GEMA has nine-school safety officers located in different regions across the state. These nine school safety officers will offer the Internet Safety program to schools and communities within their area and will coordinate the requests for Internet Safety presentations with the volunteers from their region.