U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 

March 2001 #06

and crime scene evidence, understanding the role of child

protective services in investigating fatal child abuse, and conducting interviews and interrogations. Medical and case management issues are also covered. 

◆ Child Sexual Exploitation Investigations. This course helps

law enforcement professionals recognize, investigate, and

resolve cases involving child sexual exploitation. Participants

gain an understanding of the behavior of the child predator,

including how he or she solicits a child and accomplishes the

offending; learn how to obtain and execute search warrants,

interview victims, and interrogate suspects; and prepare a case

for prosecution. Federal resources available to support local

efforts are also discussed. The training addresses computer

child exploitation, child prostitution, and missing children

cases. The course is offered to law enforcement investigators,

child protective service workers, and other juvenile justice system professionals involved in the investigation of child sexual

abuse and exploitation and missing children cases. 

◆ Responding to Missing and Abducted Children. This course

provides law enforcement professionals with the information

and tools required to understand, recognize, investigate, and

resolve missing and abducted children cases. It covers case

management, issues related to the investigation of nonfamily

and family abductions and runaway and thrownaway children,

effective methods for recovery and reunification, the use of the

media, and the availability of Federal resources to aid in the

investigation and recovery of missing and abducted children.

◆ Team Investigative Process for Missing, Abused, and

Exploited Children. This program is a team-based training

course designed to promote the development and use of a multidisciplinary, community-based approach for investigating

cases of missing, abused, and exploited children. It equips

local teams with tools to effectively investigate, prepare, and

prosecute cases. Participating teams develop local interagency

action plans to improve their management and investigation

of cases. This program is offered to local teams composed of

administrators or chief executive officers from law enforcement, prosecution, social services, and the medical field. 

Missing and Exploited Children’s

Training Program

by Helen Connelly and Ron Laney

Addressing issues associated with missing, exploited, and abused

children can be complex, cumbersome, and often frustrating for

those responsible for protecting them. Significant experience and

expertise are required to conduct proper investigations, effectively

manage cases, protect young victims, prosecute perpetrators, and

prevent further victimization of children. To ensure that juvenile

justice professionals have the necessary skills and information

to address the myriad issues that surround cases of missing,

exploited, and abused children, the Office of Juvenile Justice and

Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) funds comprehensive training

and technical assistance through its Missing and Exploited

Children’s (MEC’s) Training and Technical Assistance Program.

Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) in Appleton, WI, has provided this training and technical assistance since 1993. 

FVTC currently offers five week-long training courses, each tailored for a specific audience and designed to improve the handling

of, and response to, cases involving children. The five programs

are described below:

◆ Child Abuse and Exploitation Investigative Techniques. This

program is designed to improve the skills of professionals in

law enforcement, child protective services, and other parts of

the justice system who investigate child abuse, child sexual

exploitation, child pornography, and missing children cases.

Training focuses on recognizing signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, properly collecting and preserving evidence, preparing

a case for prosecution, interviewing victims and interrogating

suspects, and understanding liability issues. Training also

addresses issues such as child prostitution, team investigations,

and special investigative techniques for cases involving missing and abused children. 

◆ Child Fatality Investigations. This course provides comprehensive training on how to detect whether a fatality is a homicide

or the result of an accident and how to investigate and prosecute cases involving fatal child abuse and neglect. The course

is offered to professionals in law enforcement, child protective

services, and other parts of the juvenile justice system and to

medical professionals. Training topics include investigating

fatal child abuse and neglect, collecting and preserving forensic
PRESORTED STANDARD

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

DOJ/OJJDP

PERMIT NO. G–91

FS–200106 Fact Sheet

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

Washington, DC 20531

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use $300

In addition to these training programs, FVTC, in cooperation with

OJJDP’s National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

(NCMEC), conducts several additional training programs for law

enforcement professionals and prosecutors. Three programs focus

on Internet crimes against children. Each is described below:

◆ Protecting Children Online. This 41/2-day course is designed

to improve the ability of law enforcement to investigate computer crimes against children. Open to law enforcement investigators, the training focuses on how to recognize and identify

computer crimes against children, conduct investigations, and

prepare cases for prosecution. Types of computer technology,

legal issues involved in computer crimes, and ways to help prevent computer victimization of children are also discussed.

◆ Protecting Children Online/Unit Commander Policy

Training Program. This 21/2-day program for commanders of

law enforcement units is designed to improve their understanding of key issues involved in the investigation, prosecution, and

prevention of Internet crimes against children. Topics covered

include recognizing and identifying computer crimes against

children, an introduction to computer technology, an overview

of online communications, unit commander roles and responsibilities, understanding the technical investigation, cyberlaw,

and discussing available resources.

◆ Protecting Children Online for Prosecutors. This 41

/2-day

course provides prosecutors with critical information to help

them understand, identify, and prosecute computer crimes

against children. The course helps prosecutors recognize when

a child is the victim of a computer crime, present and use expert

testimony, and understand liability issues involved in the search,

seizure, and removal of suspects’ computers. Training also

includes charging and plea negotiations, preparation of cases

for court, and effective methods for meeting defenses. Crossexamination tactics also are discussed. 

FVTC and NCMEC also collaborate on the Missing and Exploited Children Chief Executive Officer Seminar, a 2-day program that provides police chiefs and sheriffs with the information

to raise awareness and understanding of, and improve communities’ responses to, cases of missing and exploited children. 

For Further Information 

To register for classes, contact FVTC at the address listed below,

or visit the FVTC Web site for a schedule of classes and to obtain

a registration form.

Fox Valley Technical College

1825 North Bluemound Drive

Appleton, WI 54912

800–648–4966

920–735–4757 (fax)

www.foxvalleytech.com/ojjdp (Internet)

To obtain copies of other OJJDP publications related to missing,

exploited, and abused children, contact:

Juvenile Justice Clearinghouse

800–638–8736

301–519–5600 (fax)

puborder@ncjrs.org (e-mail)

www.ncjrs.org/puborder (Internet)

For more information on NCMEC and its programs, contact:

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

Charles B. Wang International Children’s Building

699 Prince Street

Alexandria, VA 22314–3175

703–274–3900

703–274–2222 (fax)

www.missingkids.com (Internet)

Helen Connelly is a Senior Program Consultant with Fox Valley Technical College. Ron Laney is the Director of OJJDP’s Child Protection

Division.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention is a component 

of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice

Assistance, the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice,

and the Office for Victims of Crime.

FS–200106