APPLETON (NBC 26) — The fight against internet crimes targeting our kids takes center stage in Appleton this week as the Wisconsin Department of Justice's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force kicks off its 5th annual ICAC Conference on Missing and Exploited Children.
- Appleton hosts Wisconsin DOJ's 5th ICAC Conference on child Internet crimes.
- Sextortion rise highlighted, warns parents.
- Tech showcased to combat crimes, including AI detection and K9s for evidence.
- Hilton Paper Valley venue until Thursday.
The conference is shedding light on the alarming rise of Sextortion. According to the Department of Justice, Sextortion is a form of child sexual exploitation involving threats or blackmail. Out of 187,000 cases of child enticement last year, there is a rising number of sextortion cases both nationally and here in Wisconsin, According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
"Here in Wisconsin through our task force. We believe we see somewhere in the neighborhood of two to three cases. In a typical week. Sometimes it's more. so making sure that kids are aware that this is a danger. They need to be conscious of is part of the solution here so that kids are taking steps to keep themselves safe," says Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul.
"We want to make sure that parents and kids are aware that there are bad actors out there. Just like we would tell kids not to talk to a stranger in person, it is also dangerous to be talking to strangers online, and they've got to be thoughtful and safe about what they're sharing," adds Attorney General Kaul.
The conference is showcasing the latest technology to solve and prevent these types of crimes, Detect A.I. generated content online, and K9s trained to detect electronic devices holding criminal evidence.
The conferences will run through Thursday at the Hilton Paper Valley in Appleton.
