This document was created to assist MDTs with the investigation of technology-facilitated crimes against children.

1.
Drafted by:
Lieutenant Josh Moulin: Central Point Police Department, Commander – Southern Oregon High‐Tech
Crimes Task Force
Deputy District Attorney J. Adam Peterson: Jackson County District Attorney’s Office, Prosecutor –
Southern Oregon High‐Tech Crimes Task Force
Forensic Interviewer Cari Dickson: Jackson County Children’ Advocacy Center
Technology Facilitated Crimes Against Children
A protocol for the Jackson County Child Abuse Multi‐Disciplinary Team

2. Jackson County MDT Technology Facilitated Crimes Against Children Protocol 2
JACKSON COUNTY MULTI‐DISCIPLINARY TEAM (MDT)
TECHNOLOGY FACILITATED CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN PROTOCOL
Purpose
The purpose of this protocol is to assist law enforcement officers and Department of Human
Services investigators with criminal investigations of child abuse that involve technology
facilitated crimes against children.
Technology facilitated crimes require the investigator to have full knowledge of how these
crimes can be committed and the technical savvy to be aware of appropriate questions to ask
during a forensic interview of a child. This protocol is designed to create standards regarding
when a member of the Southern Oregon High‐Tech Crimes Task Force (SOHTCTF) may be
contacted to provide assistance and consultation to the interviewer.
The overall goal of this protocol is to use the expertise of high‐tech crime investigators
combined with child abuse investigators to obtain the best evidence, making prosecutions more
effective and providing the best outcome possible for child victims in these often complex
cases.
Technology Facilitated Crimes Defined
This protocol covers incidents where the child victim has been sexually exploited via electronic
means and/or the suspected perpetrator used technology to facilitate the crimes committed
against the victim. Technology facilitated crimes against children could include, but are not
limited to the following examples:
 A child compelled to take nude images of themselves with digital cameras,
cellular phones or other electronic devices and transmit those images (Sexting);
 A child used in a display of sexually explicit conduct in accordance with ORS
163.670 (manufacturing of child pornography);
 A child who is groomed through the use of technology, for example a child
shown images of adult or child pornography on an electronic device;
 A child who is the victim of physical or sexual abuse and the child met the
suspect online (traveler cases);
 Victims of Internet luring cases in accordance with ORS 167.057; and
 Victims of online sexual corruption cases in accordance with ORS 163.432 and
163.433.

3. Jackson County MDT Technology Facilitated Crimes Against Children Protocol 3
Protocol
This protocol may become effective when a child abuse investigator from law enforcement or
DHS receives a report of child abuse and determines the case was facilitated by technology.
The following incidents may necessitate the notification of the Southern Oregon High‐Tech
Crimes Task Force to assist with the case investigation:
1. If the investigator has reason to believe the child was used in the creation of sexually
explicit images or videos;
2. In cases where the victim does not know the identity of the suspect except for an email
address, screen name, chat room identifier or other Internet moniker;
3. In cases where technology played a significant role in the victimization of the child such
as Internet luring, grooming, or the use of child pornography;
4. In cases that necessitate showing a victim an image or video of child sexual abuse in the
course of an interview.
In the above cases a member of the SOHTCTF will respond and assist in the forensic interview
of the child in a support role. The SOHTCTF investigator will listen to the interview and assist
with the development of questions as well as any other technical aspects of the investigation as
needed or requested.
When making arrangements for the interview, investigators should notify the CAC intake
coordinator that the case is a technology‐facilitated crime and request the SOHTCTF be
notified. The intake coordinator will notify the SOHTCTF Commander to get a task force officer
assigned to assist.
SOHTCTF investigators can also provide assistance in identifying suspects or additional victims
through the use of technology as well as conducting forensic examinations of digital evidence
and consultation on investigative strategies involving technology‐facilitated crimes.
In cases that technology is used to facilitate a crime against a child, but does not meet the
recommended notification of the SOHTCTF outlined above, investigators can always request
the assistance of the SOHTCTF using their discretion. It should be noted that the SOHTCTF has
limited resources to investigate technology‐facilitated crimes. Investigative priority will be
given to participating and contributing law enforcement agencies.
Showing Images or Videos of Child Sexual Abuse to a Victim
Certain cases may necessitate an investigator show a victim an image or video of child sexual
abuse. The decision to show a victim an image or video of themselves being sexually abused or
engaged in sexual conduct should be carefully considered. Investigators must weigh the
potential to further victimize the child by showing the image or video against the possibility
that showing the image to the victim may assist in the investigation and further protect the
child.

4. Jackson County MDT Technology Facilitated Crimes Against Children Protocol 4
If the decision is made to show a victim an image or video of child sexual abuse care must be
taken to question the victim first in order to establish a proper foundation for showing the
image or video to them. The investigator should obtain as much detail as possible about the
image or video and the circumstances surrounding its use or creation. This information should
be sought through questioning that is not leading, age appropriate and in accordance with the
Oregon Interview Guidelines.
If the decision has been made to show an image or video to a child in an interview, it must be
done in conjunction with law enforcement. Generally, the SOHTCTF will be responsible for
locating the image while performing a forensic examination of digital evidence. Once the image
or video is selected, the SOHTCTF will attempt to sanitize it as much as possible. A sworn
member of the SOHTCTF will be responsible for the care and custody of any child sexual abuse
image or video by bringing it to the advocacy center and remaining on the premises until the
image or video is no longer needed. The SOHTCTF member does not necessarily have to
present it to the child being interviewed, but can maintain visual custody of the contraband via
the in‐house camera system.
The investigator may request the SOHTCTF member to be present in the interview to assist in
the interview, especially to discuss additional images or videos located or specific questions
regarding technology‐facilitated crimes.
Victims used in the Creation of Child Sexual Abuse Images
In cases where a child victim was used in the creation of images or videos of sexual abuse, the
parent(s)/guardian(s) of that child shall be notified of the discovery of such media, unless the
parent/guardian is suspected as the offender. Pursuant to this protocol, those images shall be
sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) Child Victim
Identification Program. The parent/guardian, if not a suspect in the investigation, shall also be
notified of this program and provided with the informational pamphlet regarding this process
by the Children’s Advocacy Center staff.