module 6: investigating csec cases - kristi house · handout 6.3 investigative techniques ......

CSEC Community Intervention Project Training Institute

Module 6: Investigating CSEC Cases For Community Training Facilitators

“It took them almost a year and a half of

Being locked up a bunch of times in adult

jail’ til they realized I was juvenile.”

- CSEC survivor


Module 6: Investigating CSEC Cases

2

Objectives Focus on victim-centered investigation and prosecution

Learn strategies for building a case against CSEC

Practice appropriate protocol for interviewing victims

Time 95 minutes

Hardware LCD projector & Laptop (for presentations)

Materials Chart paper

Markers

Tape

DVD: OJJDP Teleconference- Special Projects Squad

Handouts

&

Examples

Handout 6.1 Key Points of Effective CSEC Investigations

Handout 6.2 Investigation Case Study: US vs. Demetrius Johnson

Handout 6.3 Investigative Techniques

Handout 6.4 Tips & Protocol for Interviewing CSEC Victims

Handout 6.5 Sample Questions for CSEC Victims

Handout 6.6 Tough Questions for Law Enforcement and Legal

Professionals

Resources Resource 6.1 Operation Plaza Boys, Interview with Pimp, NYPD

Resource 6.2 Sample Search Warrants, OJJDP



3

Agenda 1. Defining “Victim-Centered” (5 minutes)

Chart paper & markers

2. Posing Tough Questions (5 minutes)

3. Key Points of Effective CSEC Investigations (5 minutes)

Handout 6.1 Key Points of Effective CSEC Investigations

4. Investigation Case Study (15 minutes)

Handout 6.2 Investigation Case Study: US vs. Demetrius Johnson

5. Building a Case: Investigative Techniques (25 minutes)

Handout 6.3 Investigative Techniques

6. Tips & Protocol for Interviewing CSEC Victims (15 minutes)

Handout 6.4 Tips & Protocol for Interviewing CSEC Victims

Handout 6.5 Sample Questions for CSEC Victims

7. Application: Bringing Back Tough Questions (10 minutes)

Handout 6.6 Tough Questions for Law Enforcement and Legal

Professionals

DVD: OJJDP Teleconference- Special Projects Squad



4

Investigating CSEC Cases and

Interviewing Victims

Objectives…

• To focus on victim-centered investigation and

prosecution

• To learn strategies for building a case against

CSEC

• To practice appropriate protocol for

interviewing victims

MODULE 6: INTRODUCTION

DEFINING “VICTIM-CENTERED”

Time: 5 minutes

Materials: chart paper; markers; tape; slides 1-3

Facilitator’s speaking points

• Present overview of Module 6

• Review objectives

Slide 2

Group Discussion

Introduce “victim centered investigations”, a term often heard and promoted in the

field.

Pose a question for brief group discussion:

• What does “victim centered investigation” really mean in

practice?



5

Facilitators guide discussion and list participant responses on chart paper. Key

points to highlight:

• Treating victims with respect

• Protecting the safety of victims

• Promoting victims’ well-being

• Ensuring that victim doesn’t become secondary to the case

Summarize and encourage a victim-centered approach:

• Although these may sound more like tasks for a social worker

than for cops and DA’s, it IS possible to do all these things and

make a strong and effective case. In fact, law enforcement experts

in the CSEC field agree that the only way to make a good CSEC

case is to ensure that you are victim-centered. We’re going to

cover challenges to this approach and look at potential strategies

and tips from law enforcement throughout the country.

Pose two questions for participants to reflect on. Do not facilitate a discussion now.

At the conclusion of the module participants should remember their initial answers

and decide if any of the activities provided useful tools or perspectives to working

more effectively on CSEC cases.

Questions:

• Does your department handle a lot of CSEC cases?

• How do you handle them?



6

TOUGH QUESTIONS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT &

LEGAL PROFESSIONALS

Time: 5 minutes

Materials: slide 4

Facilitator’s Speaking Points

Pose “Tough Questions” for law enforcement and legal professionals that will be

revisited at the conclusion of this module:

• Developing CSEC cases, prosecuting exploiters, and working with CSEC

victims pose many challenges to law enforcement, defense lawyers, and

prosecutors. Most veterans in the field will tell you that in order to be

effective, you must be creative, dedicated, and willing to do the extra

work it takes to meet these challenges. Some experts in the field were

asked to answer some tough questions related to combating CSEC. At

the end of this module you will have a chance to answer them and hear

what their responses were as well.

Slide 4

Keep these questions in mind as we go

through the following activities on CSEC

investigation. At the end of the module we

will have time to discuss these questions

and read responses from experienced

service providers in the field.

Tough questions for law enforcement and

legal professionals…

1. How do you interact with sexually exploited kids on the street?

2. How do you build a case against an exploiter or trafficker to put them away?

3. What do you do to try to prevent a victim/witness from running away?

4. What do you do when interviewing a child who presents as an “unwilling victim,” who is resistant to police intervention, or who protects her exploiter?

5. What strategies do you use to build a case against an exploiter that is not hinged on a child’s testimony?

6. How do you deal with a child that goes AWOL and returns to the life?

7. How do you hold johns accountable for CSEC? How do you address demand?



7

“These are really the hardest cases I’ve ever worked on in all my years on the job. So hard.

It’s so tough, so complex, there is so much

involved. And people don’t want to believe that these are real victims.”

- Sergeant, Special Projects Squad

KEY POINTS FOR EFFECTIVE CSEC INVESTIGATIONS

Time: 5 minutes

Materials: Handout 6.1 Key Points of Effective CSEC Investigations; slides 5-8


Show quote from law enforcement:

Slide 5

Summarize:

•••• Most law enforcement would agree with this sergeant’s statement. When

CSEC cases are done right they are incredibly time-consuming, complex,

challenging, and frustrating.

•••• There are no easy answers, rarely neat and simple cases. However,

making a case to put away a predator and exploiter of children can

ultimately be extremely rewarding.

•••• We are going to cover some basic principles taken directly from the field

that address some of the most important factors in CSEC cases.

•••• Then we are going to cover these points in more detail throughout the

module.



8

Refer to Handout 6.1 Key Points of Effective CSEC Investigations and review with

participants. Have participants keep this page out as reference for next section.

Handout 6.1 Key Points for Effective CSEC Investigations



9

INVESTIGATION CASE STUDY

Time: 15 minutes

Materials: Handout 6.2 On the Ground Investigation: US vs. Demetrius Johnson;

chart paper; markers; tape; slides 9-11


Introduce the case study:

•••• We’re going to look at the specifics of an actual case provided by an FBI

agent who specializes in CSEC cases. The agent has provided the details

of the case and the specific strategies that were used in the case.

Activity: Investigation

1. Divide participants into small groups.

2. Instruct participants to read Handout 6.2 On the Ground Investigation: US vs.

Demetrius Johnson

3. Working in small groups, participants will discuss the challenges of the case

4. Allow groups 8 minutes to read the case studies

5. Discuss the following working group questions, listing responses on chart

paper



10

Activity: On the Ground Investigation

Working Group Questions:

• What were the challenges in this case?

• What aspects would you find particularly

challenging?

• How did the investigators approach these

challenges?

• How would you?

Debriefing Questions:

How do the “Key Points” relate to this

investigation?

Are there any “standout” points helpful

to you?

Activity: On the Ground Investigation

Slide 10 Slide 11

After discussing the working group questions, debrief with slide 11. The Key Points

refer to those on Handout 6.1 Key Points of Effective CSEC Investigations


• One of the most important factors in this case study was the

relationship between the investigator and the victim. Whether you

are local law enforcement, an FBI agent, a defense attorney, or a

federal prosecutor you need to know how to work with, interview,

and keep a CSEC victim as a witness.

• If you are an officer working with Vice, Special Victims, or

Juvenile Squad, you should use appropriate protocol when

interviewing CSEC victims, for the victim’s safety, and to ensure

you build a strong case.



11

BUILDING A CASE: INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

Time: 25 minutes

Materials: Handout 6.3 Investigative Technique; slides 12-15


Introduce the topic of CSEC investigation by outlining a few of the inherent

challenges for law enforcement, and stressing that anyone involved must be creative

and dedicated beyond standard protocol:

• CSEC investigations are not neat investigations. They take time to work

and develop. Many opportunities to prosecute exploiters and traffickers

are lost because there is no option for quick arrest, the case does not

seem immediately viable, or victims are deemed “unwilling to

prosecute”.

• CSEC cases need much time, effort, and creativity to develop. They can

also require law enforcement to have a thorough understanding of the

issue, to collaborate with FBI and other units, service providers, and be

willing to go the extra mile.

• We’ve talked about how important it is to build trust with your victim

and get other victims on board. However it’s important that your case is

not hinged on a victim’s testimony. You must corroborate their

statements as much as possible.

• Who are the players you want to investigate?

� Traffickers/Exploiters

� “Johns”

� Strip club owners

� Pornographers

� Owners of hotels and other businesses that support or

profit from CSEC



12

Investigative Techniques

• Surveillance

• Interview neighbors regarding people coming and going

• John’s sweeps

• Use of under-covers

• Phone taps

• One party consent calls

• Check web pages like MySpace

• Internet advertisements like Craigslist

Investigative Techniques

•Look for phone records, hotel records and bills, any medical records of violence, financial transactions, Western Union wire transfers, bus or plane tickets

•Go to various tracks and/or indoor locations to seek additional victims of same pimp/trafficker

•Get DA on board

•Search warrant Use federal resources—contact FBI, NCMEC, ICAC, CEOS, etc.

•Know trafficking routes: interstate and international

•Look for evidence of interstate commerce

Facilitators guide a brief group brainstorm with the following discussion question,

listing participant responses on pieces of chart paper:

• What techniques should be used to build a strong case?

Distribute Handout 6.3 Investigative Techniques and discuss. Cover those topics not

listed during group brainstorm:

Slides 14-15



13

“We brought a girl in for an interview to build more information on a case we were

working on. Initially she was really resistant, a little bulls**t, a little lip. Told us she

wasn’t going to answer any questions. I bought some pizza and soda and just sat around

talking s**t with her for a while, getting her to feel comfortable. In the end, she gave us

so much info, really good stuff. When she was leaving she turned to me and said, “Damn,

you guys really broke me down.” But all we did was spend a few dollars, spend a little

time and she really opened up. Essentially pimps are willing to invest a little money, a

little time. As cops we need to be able to invest that too.”

What does this cop’s experience tell you

about interviewing CSEC victims?

Tips and Protocol for Interviewing CSEC Victims

Time: 15 minutes

Materials: Handout 6.4 Tips & Protocol for Interviewing CSEC Victims, Handout

6.5 Sample Questions for CSEC Victims; slides 16-23


Introduce a quote from Law Enforcement:

Slide 16

Introduce working with CSEC victims:

• Working with CSEC victims and keeping them as witnesses can be one

of the most challenging aspects of investigation. CSEC victims often do

not trust police or other authority figures, have been trained to give false

information, have been threatened, have reason to fear retribution, may

have been abused by police, try to protect their pimp/exploiter, and often

present as an “unwilling victim”.



14

What are your objectives in

interviewing a CSEC victim?

What kind of protocol will help you achieve those objectives?

Interviewing CSEC Victims

• In many departments/units there is a lack of training and protocol

specific to CSEC cases and a lack of awareness of warning signs of

CSEC. Here are some general guidelines to follow in addition to protocol

that should be developed further for each community.

Group Discussion

• Using slides 17-23, facilitate a discussion on the objectives of

interviewing CSEC victims and tips for successful interviews.

Slide 17 Slide 23


• What kind of protocol will help you achieve those objectives? What

kinds of actions go against those objectives?

• Don’t solicit child for prostitution (no solicitation, no crime)

• Don’t lie to the child

• Get child out of a dangerous situation

• Bring child to court and file PINS petition in family court instead

of arresting child

• Involve service providers or law enforcement experienced in

working with CSEC victims to help build rapport

• Use resources to connect victim with services

Sample Questions

• Tell me about your family.

• Is there anyone I can contact? I need to contact a family member.

• Child may give you the phone number of a relative, or the

phone number of her pimp or the “bottom.” Either way, this information is helpful for a case.

• Where is the child living? Where was he/she living?

(Shelter, group home, family, etc.)

• What help does the child need? (convert or keep case as a PINS instead of a criminal case.)

• Ask about traveling to other states/cities/countries

Interviewing CSEC Victims



15

Distribute Handout 6.4 Tips and Protocols for Interviewing CSEC Victims and

review:

Handout 6.4 Tips and Protocols for Interviewing CSEC Victims

Group Discussion


• How could you apply any of these protocols to make changes in your

current procedure if necessary?

• Are there any challenges in practicing these strategies?

• Lack of resources for placement.

• If placing a child in jail is not recommended, and home is not an

option for the child, what is left are placements they can easily run

from.



16

Bringing back the tough questions…

1. How do you interact with sexually exploited kids on the street?

2. How do you build a case against an exploiter or trafficker to put them away?

3. What do you do to try to prevent a victim/witness from running away?

4. What do you do when interviewing a child who presents as an “unwilling victim,” who is resistant to police intervention, or who protects her exploiter?

5. What strategies do you use to build a case against an exploiter that is not hinged on a child’s testimony?

6. How do you deal with a child that goes AWOL and returns to the life?

7. How do you hold johns accountable for CSEC? How do you address demand?

APPLICATION: BRINGING BACK TOUGH QUESTIONS

Time: 10 minutes

Materials: DVD: OJJDP Teleconference- Special Projects Squad, Handout 6.6

Tough Questions for Law Enforcement and Legal Professional; slides

24-26


Segue and make the connection between previous activities on CSEC investigations

and working with victims:

• Now that we have gone through some effective investigative techniques

and practiced interviewing skills, we are going to bring back those tough

questions from the beginning of this module.

• Can you apply any of what we have covered so far to answering to some

of these questions? Remember, there is no one answer, and even

experienced law enforcement and legal professionals continue to struggle

with these challenges.

Ask 1-2 participants to respond to each question.

Slide 24



17

Tough Questions

Debriefing Question:

Are there any responses you find particularly

useful or valuable?

Group Discussion

• We’re going to view a short clip of how one law enforcement unit

addresses these questions and uses key principles that we’ve discussed

today.

• This is just one example, there are many great law enforcement units

addressing CSEC cases in a victim-centered approach throughout the

country.

Show DVD: OJJDP Teleconference- Special Projects Squad

Distribute Handout 6.6 Tough Questions for Law Enforcement and Legal

Professionals.

Ask participants to read silently.


This is the end of Module 6. Review objectives and highlight relevant

content. Direct participants to complete the evaluation for this module.

module 6: investigating csec cases - kristi house · handout 6.3 investigative techniques ......

Documents