2014 Program

In 1992, the Campus Sexual Assault Victims’ Bill of Rights, included within the Jeanne Clery Act, fundamentally changed how institutions of higher education are required to respond to victims of sexual assault. Over 20 years later, amendments within the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act strengthened the rights afforded to campus victims of sexual violence, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. This session will review changes to the Jeanne Clery Act, offer multidisciplinary tools and resources for implementation, and explore how local and national collaboration can aid in prevention and response.

No-Body homicide cases are among the most challenging types of cases for both investigators and prosecutors because the central piece of evidence, the victim’s body, has not been recovered. There are a plethora of cases throughout the United States, in both state and federal court where defendants were found guilty of murder without the victim’s body, however, there is reluctance from both law enforcement and prosecutors to attempt one of these unusual cases. In April 2012, the FBI hosted a 3-day symposium attended by both prosecutors and investigators who had successfully investigated and tried a No-Body homicide case. The result of this symposium was a monograph, which captured the best practices for working these cases. This presentation will highlight these best practices.

How the military handles sexual assault has been in the Congressional and media crosshairs for the past year. The military environment presents unique challenges for the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault, including rank, command structure and reporting requirements. Unlike civilian sexual assault victims, service members face challenges in reporting and preparing for trial that are unique to the military system of justice. In this workshop, you will hear first-hand from an Army sexual assault prosecutor in the trenches on how these cases are actually processed and the steps the military is taking to achieve a cultural change to eliminate sexual assault from its ranks.

In a world where girls and women are not wholly valued, participants will be engaged in a training adapted from Girls Educational and Mentoring Services’ (GEMS) nationally recognized Train-the-Trainer program. GEMS presenters will address commercial sexual exploitation, including the risk factors faced by commercially sexually exploited women from their adolescence into adulthood, social stigmas and false stereotypes, the numerous impacts of the commercial sex industry on victims, as well as techniques used to identify victims of commercial sexual exploitation. This presentation will provide better understanding of the crime of commercial sexual exploitation and the devastating impact the commercial sex industry has on our communities.

This workshop will demonstrate advanced investigative principles associated with cold case related cases that may have become closed, suspended or forgotten. The presentation will discuss cold cases and missing person cases involving serial murder, mass murder, unidentified remains and homicide investigation without the victim’s body.

Confessions are a critical part of a successful program to address the problem of domestic violence. Given the reluctance of victims to testify and the frequent absence of strong physical evidence, confessions are a key component for prosecution. Too many times, however, investigators fail to get a confession or make a mistake that prevents the admission of that confession. This presentation explains the Fifth Amendment and other laws that must be followed for an admissible confession. The presentation also focuses on the process for collecting confessions without even involving the case of Miranda v. Arizona. Noncustodial statements and secret recordings are discussed. In addition, the speaker focuses on pretext recorded phone calls. The presentation includes numerous actual recordings and videotapes.

Affective Neuroscience is providing vast amounts of information regarding transmission of implicit memories and other state dependent memories during attuned moments between parent and child. These connections are crucial to the parent to child relationship and predict healthy mental and physical development. Unfortunately this same process can transmit psychological and physical dysfunctional patterns affecting children across generations. Understanding these principles is critical to supporting young mothers and their children in the prevention of intergenerational transmission of domestic violence, neglect, and abuse. This workshop will assist therapists, health care workers, and others legally responsible for monitoring the welfare of children and their families to be better able to promote healthy family systems and make critical decisions to protect children and their families caught in dysfunctional and harmful family systems.

Attend this workshop and improve your interview skills. Learn how to tell when someone is editing something out of a verbal or written statement. This presentation will cover the basics of Discourse Analysis, a lexical and syntactical approach to analyzing statements. Using clear examples, Dr. Tanner will explain how a respondent’s shifts in words and grammar can point interviewers to “hot spots” in a statement that need to be probed. You will never listen to a conversation or interview the same way if you attend this session.

We all know what to do when a victim of a crime asks for help. But what happens when the victim refuses help and does not cooperate? Not much happens. The objective of this presentation is to break down the pimping and prostitution subculture so there is a greater understanding of domestic human trafficking and sexual exploitation – understanding why victims do not cooperate. This will be broken down in a unique way. Topics include: Juvenile Prostitution, Pimping Techniques, Proactive HT strategies and “Flipping” girls. A number of proven and successful techniques will be presented that will also incorporate undercover operations and case studies from a Canadian perspective. This presentation will show you how to deal with non-cooperative victims and target offenders effectively.

This workshop will highlight the innovative, emerging practices nationally and in Texas, which promote resiliency in children who have been exposed to domestic violence and help prevent future child maltreatment. Participants will learn more of the impact of childhood exposure to violence, including how previous exposure may impact parenting and risk for future violence; how a Texas program created and implemented a healthy relationship/parenting class series to survivors of family violence who are in the CPS system; and the outcomes and recommendations stemming from the Texas SB 434 task force to address the relationship between domestic violence and child abuse and neglect, focusing on the efforts being made by TDFPS to update and expand policy and practice in its response to families facing this intersection.

This workshop describes the role of social networking sites in today’s culture and their prevalence in the lives of both adults and children. The unique responsibilities of those in the medical, legal, law enforcement, victim services and advocacy fields are described to highlight common pitfalls of social media use by professionals. The audience sees examples pulled from various media sites that could cause ethical issues. Hypotheticals are given to encourage audience participation and interaction in determining whether social media use crosses an ethical boundary. Privacy issues are also addressed.

Responding to untested rape kits is an issue that confronts many communities today. This workshop will present the evolution of the Dallas Police Department’s Sexual Assault Cold Case Program (SEACAP) that started in response to one victim’s request to know the status of her case after many years. Come hear what this agency did when it learned that rape kits were still in storage that could be analyzed to identify offenders from old cases. Additionally, the presenters will discuss how and why they started a victim support group and how they lobbied legislators to enact a law to hold offenders accountable in cases where the statute of limitations had expired. The presenters will share how this project helped empower victims to take back control of their lives while moving forward.

The presenter is a survivor of child physical, sexual abuse and rape. These experiences created a range of mental health disorders that made her vulnerable to further victimization and unaware of the issues she had to maneuver on a daily basis. After undergoing an intense journey to understand the impact violence had on her life, she began to address the challenges she faced from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), Panic and Anxiety Disorders, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression. In this workshop she will bring her experience of trauma and DID into the room to help participants explore how they may enhance their trauma-informed responses and investigations. Participants will assess how they address the issues of trauma and DID and examine how they can improve their responses, investigations and prosecutions.

In this workshop, the presenter will discuss how Facebook works with industry partners and law enforcement to combat crimes against women and children. Discussed during this presentation will be Facebook “basics”, the latest safety and privacy controls available to prevent and reduce risks for users of the site, safety initiatives designed to combat crimes, and a detailed review of Facebook’s on-line records request system for law enforcement use.

This presentation will discuss what you need to know about working with veterans, military members and their families as victims AND offenders. This workshop will also include examples from the presenter’s personal experience as the spouse of a U.S. Air Force pilot and mother of three, as well as what she has learned from prosecuting hundreds of military members accused of family violence.

The presenter will discuss the forensic evaluation of gunshot wounds in living victims of interpersonal violence. Topics that will be covered will include the determination of entrance versus exit wounds in handguns, range-of-fire, wound documentation, forensic photography and evidence collection. Case studies of domestic gun violence will be reviewed. The participant will understand the importance of accurate forensic wound documentation and interpretation in cases of interpersonal gun violence.

This workshop will provide information on structuring a community response to untested sexual assault kits. The presentation will share findings generated from a multidisciplinary Sexual Assault Kit project funded by the National Institute of Justice that included representation from SANE programs, victim services, crime lab personnel, law enforcement and prosecutors, researchers, and the voices of the survivors. Research findings as they relate to decision-making around services for victims will be presented. Lessons learned from piloting the victim notification letters, victim interviews about responses and experiences with victim notification, and victims and professionals recommendations to maximize victims’ choices and options will be discussed as will strategies for implementing a hotline/email system for victims to choose to obtain information about their sexual assault kits.

Treating victims of domestic violence at any stage in recovery is complex. The Genesis Trauma Approach is a three layered approach including: the Transtheoretical Model of Change for Persons Affected by Domestic Violence, The Genesis Foundational Cognitive and the use of the Adaptive Information Processing model including the use of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). The topics covered in this presentation will include capitalizing on the inherent strengths of survivors of abuse, recognizing where a client is in the stages of change, basic education and therapeutic information that each clinical program should have and the way that EMDR fits in a clinical approach to working with victims of domestic violence.

A recurring issue in prosecuting domestic violence cases is “will the victim be present?” Sometimes you know from the first interview and other times you will not know until the day of trial. Because the rate of victim participation is often low, prosecutors may need to decide whether to go forward without the victim. It is important to understand that these cases can still be prosecuted. A thorough and well-documented investigation enables the prosecution to build an evidence-based case that does not rely on victim testimony. This presentation will examine the tools and strategies necessary to achieve success in these cases. Specific topics will include: contextual analysis, effective investigation, use of non-testimonial statements, forfeiture by wrongdoing, and the use of other acts of evidence.

Sexual predators groom both the victim and the environment. There is a pattern to grooming which is found across many types of sex crimes. In this workshop, Dr. Tanner clarifies the structure and process of grooming and demonstrates how it is manifested in many types of offenses. Whether you work assault against adults or children, trafficking, position of trust or acquaintance cases, you will find this session helps you understand how the victim and the environment were groomed. This presentation will be beneficial for forensic interviewers, investigators, prosecutors, caseworkers, treatment agents and community supervision officers.

In the U.S. alone, one trafficker can bring in over $500,000 annually from the sexual exploitation of just three victims. Sexually exploited women and girls are not easily identified and can be sold over and over again, exposing traffickers to lower risks and yielding high profits. Asset forfeiture laws are a powerful tool prosecutors can use to hit traffickers where it hurts by seizing their property and profits while also providing victims with monetary support. This presentation will provide an overview of asset forfeiture laws, including what is required to initiate and secure civil and/or criminal forfeiture. The presenters will also identify strategies for pursuing assets and overcoming common defenses.

This presentation is an inspirational and dramatic look at the crucial “imperfect” skills that leaders need to know in order to succeed in today’s high-pressured environment. In this challenging workshop, participants will uncover the following secrets: how making a “good” mistake can propel you to greater opportunities; realizing that being an imperfect leader is the secret to building your team; why a seemingly “weak” character trait may be your ticket to success.

After a decade of tangible progress in the fight against human trafficking, many challenges remain that warrant solutions. In fact, one of these major challenges is low rates of victim identification. Trafficking victims in the United States and overseas are not being identified and connected with services quickly enough. The rate of victim identifications remains low for many reasons, including the reality that many trafficking victims and community members do not know who to call or where to access help. Drawing on five years of experience operating the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC), this workshop will discuss challenges associated with victim identification and lessons learned from fielding over 90,000 calls and identifying nearly 12,000 survivors. This workshop will summarize the operation of the national hotline, offer strategies for outreach, and provide paths forward leading toward increased victim identification rates.

The Internet is a goldmine of investigative information, but the trouble is understanding what tools and techniques can help find and filter the information to just the important nuggets. This lab will teach attendees how to use Google Boolean and advanced operators to more effectively search for information as well as teach specific Facebook searching techniques to find all possible publicly available data. Participants are encouraged to bring their laptops or tablets and follow along online with the presentation. Free wireless Internet service will be provided.

The ability to collect evidence in a family violence case diminishes with each passing hour after the initial call for assistance. This presentation will emphasize the critical importance of a thorough initial investigation in the prosecution of family violence cases. The presenters will discuss various techniques for gathering evidence from the scene that can be used to successfully prosecute a family violence case even if the victim is a reluctant or non- cooperating witness.

Sexual abuse in confinement is a significant issue that extends beyond our nation’s detention facilities and jails. Most inmates are eventually released from confinement, and those who have been sexually abused are more likely to return to their communities with sexually transmitted infections and mental health issues as a result. Misconceptions about inmates who are crime victims – as well as the dynamics of sexual abuse in confinement – can make these cases difficult to prosecute and lead to credibility challenges that cast doubt on their testimony. The presentation will highlight the challenges associated with the investigation and prosecution of sexual abuse in confinement and provide strategies for overcoming them.

The traditional law enforcement criminal investigation is typically reactive in nature and based upon a victim’s complaint of a criminal act. Stalking is a different type of victimization as it is not a one-time incident, but a continuing course of conduct, often comprised of a series of events that by themselves, may not be illegal. Oftentimes, those behaviors also involve technology. This workshop will explore the challenges and opportunities for investigating stalking cases by focusing on: case management; technological evidence collection; investigative strategies; response; threat assessment; and safety planning. Participants will learn how to show stalking behaviors in the proper context with an emphasis upon gathering corroborating evidence for prosecutable cases.

This presentation is an invigorating journey that revisits the reasons we are drawn to the world of nonprofit leadership: Passion and Mission. Yet, these two motivations often become obscured by daily minutiae, and can even create competing priorities. In this challenging workshop, participants will uncover practical tools to: stay focused on mission when one’s passion seems to be in conflict; know when to draw a line in the sand…and when not to; be laser focused, and ways to avoid common blind spots.

Differentiating a simple data dump from a comprehensive forensic exam is a must for prosecutors and investigators. While a data dump may be all you need, what could the defense expert reveal from a thorough examination? This presentation will address the perils of relying on tools and technology. The workshop will focus mainly on mobile phones, GPS and social media applications. Real time examples of what can be missed will be demonstrated.

An effective response to domestic violence in a law enforcement family presents unique challenges. Law enforcement officers are not immune to domestic violence; they may be abusers or victims. Victims face additional obstacles – when the offender is a law enforcement officer – to reporting the crime, receiving proper assistance, and proceeding with the case. When it is the victim who is a law enforcement officer, regardless of the status of the abuser, the victim may be reluctant to identify as a “victim” by reporting the abuse, and may experience professional consequences as a result. This presentation will identify the unique challenges these cases present and provide strategies to overcome them.

People working crimes against women and children see and hear many things they would rather not. These memories can have a disturbing effect on professionals and their families. Based on his 42 years experience working in criminal justice, Dr. Tanner explains what’s behind the secondary trauma of working these cases and provides simple but effective steps we can take to help us live with these stories and images once we have seen and heard them. This is not your typical ‘eat well and exercise’ session. You owe it to yourself and your family to attend this session.

The presenter in this workshop will provide an overview of an intimate partner violence strangulation case from the medical perspective. Dr. Smock will discuss and explain current medical research and key medical terms related to a strangulation case. This presentation will also review and discuss the signs and symptoms of strangulation cases; the anatomy and medical aspects in surviving and non-surviving victims; and the identification of injuries.

Maintaining privacy online is a complex process. Online spaces are built so that we can share information and connect with others. Abusers and perpetrators misuse these spaces to gather information about victims, or to impersonate, harass, and stalk victims. Being online safely requires looking at what we do with our personal information both offline and online. This workshop will take a look at how we can increase our privacy online and will provide tips and strategies to share with victims. A member of Facebook’s Site Safety & Tools Team will review online tools for victims, how to adjust privacy settings, and provide guidance regarding collecting evidence from Facebook. The presenters will also discuss email tracing and other strategies for offender accountability. Participants are encouraged to bring their laptops or tablets and follow along online with some of the exercises.

Intimidation or the “threat or use of force or other forms of coercion” is the keystone of human trafficking. Traffickers rely on intimidation to prevent victims from reporting and ultimately participating in the justice process by exploiting their vulnerabilities, such as immigration status, history of abuse, addiction, homelessness, economic status, and/or victims’ participation in illegal activity. As a result of this methodical exploitation and intimidation, victims may not self-identify and may even appear uncooperative. This workshop will discuss strategies for overcoming these challenges, maintaining victim safety, and achieving justice in these cases, which are all contingent upon collaboration between criminal justice professionals and the community-based programs that provide services to victims.

This workshop will provide participants with the information and skills they need to implement changes in their own community and local courtroom to prosecute strangulation. The presenter will discuss how to reach out and collaborate with law enforcement, the medical community and victim services to more efficiently understand a crime that is missed and misunderstood. Attendees will be able to see how such collaboration translates into a more successful prosecution. The workshop will also provide examples of specific avenues to improve community response, law enforcement investigations, medical personnel evaluations and tips that prosecutors can use to follow- up in cases where investigative information is lacking.

This workshop will discuss and explain current investigative and prosecutorial best practices for making the most of forensic DNA evidence. A case study will be utilized to explain the principles discussed. The presentation will cover investigative, legal, and scientific aspects of investigating cases involving potential DNA evidence, detecting profiles with various technologies, and effectively prosecuting those cases in court.

Web enabled devices are part of the modern world. For most of us, we know enough about technology to get things done. However, there is a “dark side” of technology. Join a cyber crime analyst for this workshop as he talks in plain English about the technical problems and risks everyone faces each time they log into their computer or use a credit card in public. Regardless of your technical expertise (or lack thereof), you will walk away from this session understanding cyber-stalking, identify theft, ATM skimming, cross-site scripting, spyware, and malware. More importantly, you will know what to do to protect yourself and your family from these threats.

This presentation focuses on recognition, intervention and referral of sex trafficking survivors in the health care setting. Signs and symptoms exhibited by survivors will be discussed along with the medical management, provider and survivor safety, documentation, and referral options. This workshop is intended for medical professionals as well as others that may come in contact with survivors in the health care setting.

The country has seen a rise in crimes against women in recent years. In 2009, the sexual assault program at Baylor Scott & White Hospital responded to this increase by expanding their role to provide medical forensic services to victims of crime in the emergency room setting. This presentation will discuss how the forensic nurse examiner can play a crucial role in navigating the medical system by providing accurate statements, photo-documentation, expert testimony, and medical records necessary in the investigation of crimes against women. This workshop will utilize case studies to demonstrate the importance of the forensic nurse exam in the investigation of domestic violence and sexual assault.

The utilization and effectiveness of DNA in sexual assault investigations has been a widely discussed topic of interest for all disciplines. Even though in many cases, it is claimed that “consent” is involved, the ability to successfully identify, collect and employ forensic evidence during the investigation process is still a critical component. This workshop session will expose attendees to the realities of DNA in sexual assault investigations as well as its impact and relevance. The presenter will explore the types of forensic evidence found in sexual assault cases; the methods for collection and preservation; how DNA applies in your current and cold case investigations; and methods for managing forensic results.

Technology plays a role in many crimes today. This presentation explores the emergence of the crimes of sexploitation and sextortion. Participants will learn the role of social networking sites and how the crimes are committed. It also examines the role technology plays in committing sexual assaults and how technology can be used to corroborate cases.

In order to have the best outcome, it is critical that both campus officials and criminal justice professionals coordinate and cooperate in responding to campus victims of sexual violence. Several different laws as well as the respective agencies’ policies and procedures govern the response of the different professionals involved. These include, but are not limited to, the Jeanne Clery Act and Title IX, as well as state criminal laws and policies and procedures of law enforcement and prosecutors. This presentation will explore the intersection of these laws and policies, the impact of campus climate in relation to crime reporting, and the importance of a victim-centered response to campus crime.

Nonprofit boards are often riddled with political and functional challenges that creep into the running of the organization, conflicting with operations and inhibiting effectiveness, despite everyone’s devotion to the same set of goals. Based on his book The Nonprofit Secret, the presenter shares the Six Principles that can unlock an organization’s potential and lead to successful board/CEO partnerships. Participants will: discover the simplest, but often overlooked, keys to strong Board-CEO relationships; uncover strategic ways to empower all members of your board; develop skills to effectively set achievable goals and evaluate performance.

Research indicates that 18-24 year olds have the highest rate of stalking victimization. To respond appropriately, practitioners should be aware of the unique circumstances that are involved when working with campus stalking victims. These differences include students’ dating behaviors, how they use technology, and the way they respond to stalking behaviors. This workshop will discuss stalking on campus, and its nexus to sexual assault. The presenter will address the unique aspects of stalking on a college campus, the types of technology that can be used to stalk, and the identification of pre- and post-sexual assault stalking behaviors. Participants will also have an opportunity to discuss steps their campuses can take to respond to stalking, including policy development, educational programming, and safety planning for stalking victims.

Oftentimes in Crimes Against Women Investigations, there is data available that may be missed due to lack of training, understanding, or knowledge. Hidden geolocation information in pictures from cell phones and social media, data and GPS coordinates in cell phones, IP login information and other data from social media can all be found using the correct investigative tools and techniques. This workshop will show attendees how to find and use this data, as well as how to be sure you do not potentially compromise your investigations online by revealing you are a law enforcement officer. Participants are encouraged to bring their laptops or tablets and follow along online with the presentation. Free wireless Internet service will be provided.

Research indicates that 12% of stalking victims report being stalked before the age of 18. Experience also shows often teens will participate in stalking behaviors unknowingly or unintentionally. In this workshop, the presenter will discuss the dynamics of stalking among teens, the different behaviors that teens engage in, types of technologies that teens use and how they are misused, and how to work with teen victims of stalking. The discussion will also include how to identify common adolescent behaviors that may range from developmentally appropriate non-criminal behaviors to stalking behaviors and safety interventions for teens facing this type of abuse.

This presentation will review the various presentations of information and communication technology that facilitate bullying, stalking and harassment as well as research regarding long-term victim impact.

Why do over 90% of sexually exploited women stay in the industry when they report wanting out? They do not believe they can survive. This workshop presents a model for how women and girls can move toward new lives of healing and empowerment. Developed over 15 years of providing services to this population, this approach highlights integrating multiple disciplines and community resources. Using video clips featuring experts in the fields of trauma-based therapy and solution based case management, the presentation will explore one woman’s journey to healing. The objective of this workshop is to educate, equip and engage participants in comprehensive aftercare for victims.

A commonly used statistic states that the average life span of a child victim of commercial sexual exploitation is 3 to 7 years. However, we have learned this is not the reality for most children. Instead, they continue to be stigmatized as adult women in the commercial sex industry. To these women, support services and options for exiting are even less available than when they were considered to be child victims. In this unique GEMS presentation, participants will learn the vital need for holistic care and non-judgmental environments, as well as the control and manipulation techniques used by exploiters. Presenters will cover beginning engagement techniques and will address the stages of change model. Attacking this issue head on, we will address the need for social change and revolutionized systems that will adequately protect victims.

This presentation will introduce a new tool to assist advocates and lawyers in these situations – A Handbook for Lawyers Representing Survivors who have Experienced Trauma or have Mental Health Concerns. Participants will examine how advocates and lawyers can better understand the complex needs of survivors who have experienced trauma. Presenter will explore the signs of trauma, what they mean and how survivors in the legal system can be re- victimized by the process. Participants will consider strategies for more effective practice.

Trauma dramatically affects survivors of violent crime but it also impacts professionals on the front lines working with and supporting those survivors. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) results not only from major traumatic events but also from the gradual accumulation of painful life experiences. Neurobiology provides the clearest window into the nature of PTSD and how it impacts the individual’s life. Research shows that trauma is one of the most treatable of all emotional/psychological challenges. This presentation will cover some basics of the neurobiology of trauma. We will then focus on its treatment, specifically EMDR, one of the most researched and widely utilized effective and efficient treatment methods available. This presentation is valuable for anyone exposed to the impact of any trauma on individuals, no matter how indirectly.

This presentation will discuss the M.O. of offenders, the dangers of perpetrators and methods of victimization in sex trafficking in the U.S.

We can learn a great deal from successful hunters by examining their methods, tactics, and motives. There are many similarities between people who hunt animals and sex offenders who prey on humans. This presentation will explore many societal myths that enable the sex offender to operate successfully among us all without suspicion and detection. Participants will be presented up-to-date research, case studies, and strategies on understanding sex offenders from a criminal justice viewpoint. This workshop will take what we have been taught about typical offender typologies and compare what we think we know with empirical research and current state of knowledge. We are not as safe as we think. What we don’t know will hurt us, and those we try to protect.

Sexual offenders present difficult and complicated issues for investigation, treatment and management. Denial, victim blaming, aggression, and blatant, chronic deception are inherent to interactions with sexual offenders. Most importantly, sexual offenders constantly re-enact the victim-offender relationship or their deviant dynamics in many contexts in their life, including the relationship with the investigator. This workshop will help professionals develop an understanding of the sexual offense dynamics and deviant arousal patterns and the manipulations and techniques of the offender. Additionally, how the offender influences the victim and the “audience” will be explored.

An estimated 400,000 untested rape kits are languishing untested throughout the country. In 2009, 11,341 untested rape kits were discovered in a Detroit Police property storage facility. The National Institute of Justice later provided funding to conduct a research project to determine why this happened and how to prevent it from happening again. This workshop will focus on the findings of the project and the culture of disbelief and victim-blaming that permitted these kits to collect, untested. Participants will learn about the challenges of locating victims on older sexual assault cases and the importance of utilizing a victim-centered approach when investigating cold cases. Finally, the presenter will discuss what prosecutors need to successfully charge and convict offenders in cold case sexual assaults.

Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS) will screen their documentary Very Young Girls. This critically acclaimed documentary is used as a backdrop for probing insightful discussion about the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). After viewing the film, audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions, react to themes raised in the film, and respond to questions raised by the facilitators. The following are commonly discussed topics: Stereotypes about girls involved in the commercial sex industry; Relationship between child sexual abuse and commercial sexual exploitation of children; Contradictions between laws that protect girls from sexual abuse/exploitation and those that criminalize these underage girls; Specific types of services commercially sexually exploited youth require.

This workshop will share the experiences of the Houston Police Department after an audit in 2011 determined it had 17,000 SAKs total in its custody. Houston later became one of only two sites in the country to receive funding from the National Institute of Justice to determine the underlying factors that contribute to the high number of sexual assault kits (SAKs) that have not been sent to the crime lab for analysis, and identify sustainable strategies for handling sexual assaults, including victim notification of test results and follow-up investigation. This presentation will share preliminary findings from this project that will help attendees understand the range and efficacy of evidence collection and solutions to improve the response to victims of sexual assault and to hold offenders accountable.

Do you know how easy it is for some abusers to track their victim’s every move, to monitor everything they do on a computer, in their cars, or on certain phones? Like many criminals, perpetrators of stalking and domestic violence are often ahead of the curve on the use of technology. Through the Internet, high-tech global positioning systems (GPS), cell-phones and computers, abusers misuse technology to further harm and control their victims. Understanding technology misuse is crucial to both supporting victims and holding offenders accountable. Drawing from survivor experiences and through videos and demonstrations, this workshop will illustrate the safety risks of phone, GPS, camera, Internet, and computer technologies.

Sexual assault investigations and prosecutions involving voluntary intoxicated victims present significant challenges. Many predators know of these challenges and prey upon voluntarily intoxicated victims. All too often, investigators and prosecutors focus on explaining away the victim’s choices and behaviors rather than focusing on the predator’s use of intoxication as a tool. Consequently, these cases are often not properly investigated, charged or are lost at trial. This lecture will provide participants with a strong foundation in the toxicology of alcohol and how to investigate to identify the outward manifestations of the impact of alcohol, as well as its impact on decision- making, memory and perception. The presentation will also offer strategies for re-framing the investigation and prosecution to ensure they are conducted in an offender focused way. We will go beyond the didactic into the experience and recreating the experience with vignettes and real-world videos.

Child abuse and domestic violence often occur in the same family and are linked in a number of ways that have serious consequences for the safety of all family members. When one form of family violence exists, there is a strong likelihood that the other one does too. It is essential that domestic violence professionals also have a solid understanding of child abuse dynamics. This workshop will provide essential knowledge that domestic violence professionals need to know about child abuse.

Stress and secondary trauma will sneak up on you. Dr. Seuss can help us gain some insight to our daily struggles, doubts and the reasons we stay in this job. This workshop will discuss how the choices you make can change the direction of your day and help you survive “in our world.” You will discover how lucky you are to do what you do. Based on the wisdom of Dr. Seuss, participants will be encouraged to look at themselves, and why they do “this” for a living and most of all learn to laugh at it all.

One out of every three computers in the US is infected with malicious software (malware). Everyday hackers are using malware and other sophisticated techniques to victimize people who are using devices connected to the Internet. This case study will outline three cases where hackers used various methods to steal from, coerce and blackmail innocent women in order to obtain what was most valuable to the hacker, sexual content. From spying through webcams to searching email accounts and computers for explicit content, hackers are constantly honing their skill sets and looking for new ways to obtain sexual photos, videos and more from their “slaves.” Having this content gives the hackers leverage to blackmail their victims to do whatever they want. The focus of this study will be the tools and tactics used by the attackers and the investigative steps used to identify, locate and ultimately bring these individuals to justice.

On December 7th, 2009, Susan Powell, wife and mother of two, disappeared without a trace from her home in West Valley City, Utah. Attention quickly focused on her husband, Josh Powell, who was the last person to see her alive. Investigative efforts would ultimately reveal that Susan was afraid of Josh and feared that he would someday kill her. In February 2012, Josh Powell attacked his two young sons, Charlie and Braden (ages 7 and 5), during a supervised visitation and then set his house on fire, killing himself and the boys. Susan’s body has never been recovered. This workshop will discuss the issues involved in a multi- jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary investigation, and the challenges presented by the competing interests and values of criminal investigations, the child welfare system, and domestic violence prevention and awareness.

On February 22, 2011, a young college coed met the man that would forever change her life. After meeting him at a local bar, she agreed to allow him to walk her home. Almost 24 hours later, her roommate found her naked, unresponsive, and in a hypoglycemic coma that ultimately resulted in permanent brain damage and memory loss. Over the following months, medical experts battled to determine the cause of her coma – it was an insulin injection. This diabetic rapist had used his insulin to incapacitate and rape his victim. This case study will take you through the case investigation process and the contentious jury trial that was a battle of the experts. The presentation will discuss both the triumphs and the lessons learned from this highly technical, medically based investigation and trial presentation, as well as provide insight and feedback from the jurors.

Christine Morton was bludgeoned to death as she slept in her bed on August 13, 1986. The following year, a jury convicted her husband, Michael, of her murder and sentenced him to life in prison. Prior to, during, and after his trial, Michael consistently proclaimed his innocence. In 2011, after Michael had spent 25 years in prison, DNA testing that he requested, along with a renewed investigation, revealed what Michael had said all along: that an intruder, not he, had murdered Christine. Today’s technology revealed what could not have been known in 1986; that the intruder was Mark Alan Norwood. This case study will detail the investigation and subsequent prosecution of Christine’s real killer in 2013, which resulted in he, instead of Michael, serving a life sentence in prison.

This case study will detail the successful prosecution of Police Sergeant Drew Peterson who was married four times. He told his third wife, Kathleen Savio, he could kill her and make it look like an accident. When she was found drowned in a bathtub, the police who investigated gave Peterson every benefit of the doubt and extended him every courtesy. They allowed him to sit in during an interview with his fourth wife, Stacy, a key witness to his whereabouts at the time Kathleen died. Kathleen’s death was ruled an accident until Stacy went missing several years later. When the investigation was reopened and Kathleen’s body exhumed, a subsequent autopsy revealed a world of evidence that had been overlooked in the rush to exonerate Peterson. This case study will cover the intricacies in this landmark prosecution and discuss what could have been done differently during the investigation of a police officer suspected of domestic violence.

This presentation explores real-world examples of how a strangulation case enters the criminal justice system, is investigated, prepared, and presented to a jury. It will provide a step-by-step guide for translating non-traditional evidence, such as the signs and symptoms of strangulation, into evidence that a jury can understand. The presenter will walk participants through trying cases to a jury, including tips for voir dire, questioning of witnesses, recruiting and use of experts, closing arguments and juror feedback. The presenter will share her experiences in strangulation trials to highlight lessons learned that can be used by attendees to better implement strategies into their own courtroom.

This presentation is both a case study and lecture. Attendees will go behind the scenes of the investigation detailed in the presenter’s best selling true crime book, Off the Streets, to learn how Anthony Smith, one of the most violent human traffickers in Las Vegas was taken down. In addition to detailing the actual investigation, the presenter will discuss the reality of the pimp/prostitute culture. He will refute the commonly held misconceptions and the media propaganda about the sex trade. Lastly, he will provide attendees with strategies and best practices, for investigating and convicting human traffickers who trade in human misery.

This is the first in depth case study presented on one of the most horrific human trafficking cases prosecuted in the country. After a four year, grueling investigation and prosecution, United States v. Edward Bagley, et al concluded at the end of 2013. This case involved the disturbing torture, mutilation and sale of a young sex trafficking victim. The presentation will detail the prosecutor and FBI agent’s collaboration to target both the sadistic trafficker and his customers. Together, they built the first case in the country where the “johns” were also prosecuted under the Trafficking Victim’s Protection Act for a case involving a real adult victim.