Grayson County's sheriff's office is now a member of the North Texas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force under an arrangement with the Dallas Police Department, KTEN reported Wednesday.
The task force coordinates investigations into the online exploitation of children. According to the KTEN report, membership gives local investigators access to specialized training and equipment, help in identifying suspects, and support for undercover investigations.
The sheriff's office had not posted its own announcement of the agreement as of Thursday morning, and the partnership did not appear on recent Grayson County Commissioners Court agendas. KTEN's report did not say when the agreement took effect.
Parents who spoke with the station welcomed the added attention to online threats. "They're so good at hiding behind a screen," one Sherman-area mother, Hannah Peralez, told KTEN, describing how offenders pose as friends to children.
A national network
The regional group is one of 61 Internet Crimes Against Children task forces funded through the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. That office says the network takes in more than 6,200 police and prosecuting agencies at every level of government, from federal to tribal.
