Senators Collins, King Announce Nearly $370,000 to Protect Children from Internet Crime

WASHINGTON, D.C.– U.S. Senators Susan Collins—Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee—and Angus King announced that the Maine State Police will receive a total of $369,364 through the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program. This funding will support the Special Victims Unit (SVU) in its responses to online enticement of children by sexual predators, child exploitation, and child obscenity and pornography cases.
“Children across the nation are increasingly at risk of exploitation online,”said Senators Collins and King.“This critical funding will support the Maine State Police’s efforts to prevent and respond to online criminals who target children. We commend the members of the Maine State Police for their commitment to the safety of Mainers and for their efforts to adapt and respond to the changing nature of 21st century crime.”
The ICAC was established by thePROTECT our Children Act of 2008, which was co-sponsored by Senator Collins. In 2017, she joined a bipartisan group of senators in introducing theSTOP Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, legislation to ensure that websites that enable sex trafficking are held liable and brought to justice. Companion legislation was signed into law in 2018.
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