Sexual Offenses and Child Abduction Response

Unit 1: Basic Investigations

• Lesson 1: The Investigative Sequence
  • The goal of this lesson is to equip students with the ability to respond to incidents that have the potential for arrest, prioritizing fairness and a positive outcome.
  • Students should be familiar with the flow of a basic investigation.
  • A basic investigative sequence should be followed to handle the scene safely.
  • The scene should be secured and medical needs addressed promptly.
  • The initial investigation should determine if a crime occurred and whether the responding officer has jurisdiction.
  • Supervisors should be notified about the nature of the crime, complexity, and potential need for assistance from detectives.
  • Victims and witnesses should be identified and separated to prevent contamination of evidence.
  • Duties should be prioritized, starting with interviews, evidence collection, and documentation, then arresting suspects as needed.
  • Thoroughly and accurately document the following:
    • Victim and suspect relationship
    • Domestic violence/special crimes
    • Instrumentality (tools) used in the crime
    • Presence and statements of witnesses
    • Scene photographs and video of available evidence
    • Evidence (physical/statements/photos/videos) comparison evaluation
    • Victim's decision to prosecute
    • Official documentation of all known facts
    • Arrest or at-large affidavit, following agency procedures
    • Preparation for courtroom testimony

Scene Safety

• When approaching a building, do not stand directly in front of the door but move to a safe position.
• Immediately identify oneself and state the purpose of the visit.
• Maintain a position of advantage to avoid being attacked from behind.
• Visually assess the scene and people's hands, body language, and facial expressions.
• Scan the room for hazards (weapons, dangerous animals, or hiding spots.)

Course of Action

• Identify the victim, witnesses, and any relationship between the parties.
• Collect statements from the victim and witnesses.
• Identify and document the instrumentalities of the crime.
• Document if physical evidence supports the statements
• Determine the victim's intention toward prosecution
• Document all collected information
• Process arrest and affidavit, according to policy.
• Prepare for potential courtroom testimony.

Additional Questions

•  Does domestic violence or special classification apply?
•  Does the victim wish to prosecute, or will the state pursue charges?
•  Was the paperwork detailing collected facts completed?

Unit 1: Basic Investigations

• Lesson 2: Victims' Rights and Brochures
  • Victims have rights to due process, respect, freedom from intimidation, prompt notification of all proceedings, reasonable protection, prevention of disclosure of location or harassment, consultation on pleas, bail, or case disposition, full restitution, and participation in post-conviction processes and procedures.
  • Provide victims with the appropriate brochure or card detailing these rights.

Unit 2: Crimes Against Persons

• Lesson 1: Assault and Battery
  • Assault involves both verbal or non-verbal threats, while battery involves actual, intentional physical touching without consent
  • Aggravated assault includes the use of a deadly weapon or intent to cause serious harm; it's a higher level than simple assault
  • Aggravated battery also means intending or knowing that great bodily harm will result. Assault, battery are documented based on the perpetrator's intent.

Unit 2: Crimes Against Persons

• Lesson 2: Domestic Violence
  • Domestic violence occurs when a family/household member is assaulted by another member. 
  • Identify the abuser, analyze injuries, compare statements from multiple parties.
  • Recognize weapons, past violent incidents, and property damage to help identify the abuser.  

Unit 2: Crimes Against Persons

• Lesson 3: Stalking Crimes
  • Stalking involves unwanted and repeated attention, contact, or harassment of another person (whether or not they have a prior relationship)
  • Aggravated stalking is stalking plus a credible threat of harm or violence, which puts the person in reasonable fear of harm to self or family

Unit 2: Crimes Against Persons

• Lesson 4: Child Abuse
  • Child abuse is when a parent/guardian intentionally causes physical or mental injury, intentionally acts that could result in injury, or encourages another to cause injury, to someone under the age of 18.
  • Neglect occurs when a guardian fails to provide basic necessities such as food, clothing, shelter, and medical care that would be essential to a child's health and well-being
  • Abandonment is a situation in which a parent/guardian fails to provide care and maintain ties with a child, despite being capable of doing so.

Unit 2: Crimes Against Persons

• Lesson 5: Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of an Elderly Person or Disabled Adult
  • Abuse of an elderly/disabled person is a willful act causing potential harm or injury
  • Neglect of elderly/disabled person is the willful failure to provide necessary care or supervision which puts their physical or mental state at risk
  • Exploitation involves taking advantage of an elderly/disabled person's vulnerabilities or dependence through fraudulent acts.

Unit 2: Crimes Against Persons

• Lesson 6: Interference With Custody, Luring or Enticing of a Child, False Imprisonment, and Kidnapping
  • Interference with custody occurs when someone knowingly takes or entices a minor from custody against the law   - Luring or enticing a child is persuading a child under 12 into a location or activity that's not in their best interest, 
  • False imprisonment is when someone is restrained or confined without lawful authority
  • Kidnapping is taking a person against their will with intent to commit certain crimes (often involving violence, harm or concealment).

Unit 2: Crimes Against Persons

• Lesson 7: Missing or Missing Endangered Persons
• Learn how to recognize and document the various criteria needed to initiate and properly document missing persons investigations
  • Understand and follow the appropriate criteria for initiating an AMBER Alert, Silver Alert, Purple Alert, or Blue Alert.

Unit 2: Crimes Against Persons

• Lesson 8: Sexual Offenses
  • Sexual battery is non-consensual sexual contact, oral, anal, or vaginal penetration and requires documentation of intent and use of force/threat of force, for it to be aggravated
  • Consent is important in sexual offenses, the victim must be able to understand the act and actively choose to participate.

Unit 2: Crimes Against Persons

• Lesson 9: Human Trafficking
  • Human trafficking involves exploiting someone through force, coercion, fraud, or threats, for the purpose of commercial sex or labor
  • Recognizing signs of human trafficking such as unusual living conditions, lack of identification, or third-party interpreters.

Unit 2: Crimes Against Persons

• Lesson 10: Respond to a Death
  • Understand the various manners and causes of death
  • The role of the medical examiner (ME) and how law enforcement interacts with them.
• Gather information from witnesses, including the victim's location, last actions, and any observed medical conditions
• Understand different types of emotional responses that family members and loved ones may have to death
  • Prepare a plan for responding to the death of an infant

Unit 2: Crimes Against Persons

• Lesson 11: Robbery
  • Understand the differences between types of robbery, including sudden snatching, home invasion robbery, and car jacking
  • Conduct an initial response to a robbery, documenting the circumstances and reporting to appropriate authorities
    • Use a canvass to gather information from neighbors, witnesses, stores and nearby locations.