Online Predator Training for Law Enforcement

Victims can very often be young children.

The rise in popularity of social networking sites has lead to a corresponding increase in online criminals preying upon unsuspecting victims on the Internet. These victims can be corporations, adults and, very often, children. Law enforcement authorities have responded to this by increasing training of investigators on how to catch such predators.

Titles

The Bureau of Justice Assistance provides several specialist training programs to law enforcement agencies. Course titles include "The Investigation of Computer Crime," "The Seizure and Examination of Computers," "Investigation of On-line Child Exploitation" and "Advanced Internet Investigations."

Department of Homeland Security Training

The Department of Homeland Security provides an in-depth course for investigative officers that covers all aspects of Internet crime, focusing on live online investigations. The use of social networking and gaming sites for criminal activity are discussed at length along with how to track emails, how to conduct undercover operations on the Internet and how to set up investigative computers.

Target Audience

The courses are aimed at criminal and intelligence analysts, intelligence specialists and criminal investigators from state and local law enforcement agencies.

References

• Department of Homeland Security: Internet Investigations Training Program
• Bureau of Justice Assistance: Cybercrime Investigation and Forsenics Training Programs

Resources

• Protect Kids: Sexual Predators Online