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Sacramento internet child pornography task force is running out of money for their program.
The team that recently arrested a Sacramento County man suspected of using social media to lure children into committing sexual acts on camera might soon lose its funding. “The Sacramento Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, ICAC, has been made aware that funding for the California ICAC program has been excluded from the governor’s proposed 2022-23 budget,” said Sgt. Juan Hidalgo, commander of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force, in a video shared on the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page. According to Hidalgo, California funds five Internet Crimes Against Children teams across the state — in Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Los Angeles and San Diego. According to reports, it was the Sacramento team that investigated and arrested Demetrius Carl Davis and determined and potentially identified more than 100 child victims across the country. “If ICAC funding is not included in the governor’s budget, the task force teams will have to eliminate all dedicated personnel who are responsible for combating child sexual exploitation and abuse,” Hidalgo said.
H.D. Palmer, of the California Department of Finance, said that funding for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force came from a one-time, limited-term appropriation. “Consistent with the terms of that appropriation, the current fiscal year (FY 2021-22) represents the third and final year of that three-year, limited term appropriation,” The financial appropriation was listed at $5 million per year for three years, beginning in 2019. Palmer added that Governor Gavin Newsom plans to release an updated budget proposal next month, dubbed the “May Revision,” which could likely include additional funding for the task force. “Decisions on that revised budget have yet to be made, but will be finalized over the next several weeks,” Palmer said.