February 3, 2010, Richmond Capitol. L to R Virginia House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith, PROTECT Legislative Director Camille Cooper, Surviving Parents Coalition President Ed Smart, survivor and activist Alicia Kozakiewicz, Delegate Dave Albo, Senator Creigh Deeds, Virginia State Police Superintendent Steven Flaherty, Senator Frederick Quayle
Bill Number: Please click here to see 2010 Virginia codified language for purposes of duplication in other states.
Brief Description: Rescuing children from sexual predators, traffickers and child pornographers state by state. Alicia's Law is a state initiative that builds state capacity to combat crimes against children. Versions of Alicia's Law have been enacted in California, Mississippi, Tennessee and Virginia.
Detailed Information:Core provisions in Alicia's Law are:
1. Permanent Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force funding in state budget, along with a dedicated revenue stream for local and state law enforcement agencies that work ICAC cases.
2. Transparency and public reporting of crimes against children by state social services, law enforcement and the courts.
3. "Second Look" Commission for states to study the impact of children who repeatedly enter the system.
4. Funding to increase forensic capacity of digital evidence in ICAC cases. Most states have an 8-month backlog on forensic evidence.
5. Funding to build dedicated local and state prosecutorial capacity.
6. State child pornography penalties consistent with federal penalties.
7. Administrative subpoena power for law enforcement for child exploitation.
8. Standards for rapid response for front-line workers on child exploitation cases.
Camille Cooper, Senator Dave Marsden, Alicia Kozakiewicz, original House patron for Alicia's Law in 2008 Brian Moran, and Mary Kozakiewicz
The National Association to Protect Children is a national, pro-child, anti-crime membership association. We are founded on the belief that our first and most sacred obligation as parents, citizens, and members of the human species is the protection of children from harm.
PROTECT is a bipartisan pro-child, anti-crime lobby whose sole focus is making the protection of children a top political and policy priority at the national, state and local level.