The Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, which includes the Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, will receive some help from the state Attorney General’s Office.
In a news release, US Attorney Scott Brady said that five agents with the state attorney general’s office will join the task force, which investigates child abductions, trafficking and child sexual exploitation enterprises. The VCAC is made up of agents with the US Attorney’s office and law enforcement officers with the FBI, the State Attorney General’s office, US Postal Inspection Service, Pittsburgh Police, Allegheny County Police and the Indiana County DA’s office. Between fiscal year 2016 and 2017, the number of new cases opened by the VCAC nearly doubled, but in that same time span, 81 people were arrested and 24 children were identified and/or recovered.
The VCAC works closely with the US Attorney’s Project Safe Childhood task force, which uses the federal justice system to push for harsher penalties against sexual predators.
