On May 17, 2024, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the ICAC Fusion Center, marking the official opening of The Invictus Project’s Task Force Lab and Offices in Randolph County, North Carolina. This event signifies a significant advancement in the fight against Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) and human trafficking in the region.
“It is truly remarkable what we have been able to accomplish by bringing together our partners both locally and federally to focus on these crimes against children.” said Greg Seabolt; Randolph County Sheriff.
“Since January we have conducted a total of 18 operations, made 114 felony charges, and have uncovered 3 instances where a subject had a hands-on victim. And we’re just getting started.” said Captain J. Trogdon; Randolph County Sheriff’s Office
The Invictus Task Force is a collaborative initiative involving investigators from the Alamance, Davidson, Forsyth, and Randolph County Sheriff’s Offices, as well as the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and Homeland Security. This task force is dedicated to combatting child exploitation and trafficking through a coordinated, multi-jurisdictional approach.
Randolph County’s central location within the state provides a strategic advantage for the task force. It enables efficient training for new ICAC detectives, facilitates collaboration on operations across various jurisdictions, and offers technical assistance to agencies that may lack the resources to proactively investigate such cases. Additionally, it contributes significantly to the shared body of knowledge necessary for effectively combating those who seek to exploit children.
“Literally, you are seeing history being made. This is the first of its kind in North Carolina where we have seen a collective effort like this to create this Task Force.” said Kevin Roughton; SBI, NC State Bureau of Investigations ICAC Commander who went on to elaborate by saying. “The history-making part of what you see here today is these four sheriffs doing this came together and said “This is a priority in our agency” if we can put a team together to fight this, that’s where we see this fight being won. A partnership composed of HSI, SBI, our law enforcement, and specifically with an NGO that can provide some of those necessary resources, that is what allows us to make this a priority.”
About The Invictus Project
The Invictus Project is committed to combatting child exploitation and trafficking through education, advocacy, and enforcement. The project focuses on educating the local community, raising advocates for children, and enhancing the capabilities of local law enforcement in addressing internet crimes against children, sexual abuse, and child trafficking within North Carolina.
The Invictus Task Force, a cornerstone of The Invictus Project, is a combined initiative of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. This includes the Randolph, Alamance, Davidson, and Forsyth County Sheriff’s Departments, all working together to target individuals who exploit children sexually, both online and in person. By leveraging advanced technology and the collective expertise of its members, the task force has established a fusion center dedicated to proactively hunting down predators who prey on children.
The opening of the ICAC Fusion Center is a testament to the ongoing commitment to protecting children and ensuring their safety from online and physical exploitation. This facility will serve as a vital resource for training, collaboration, and innovation in the fight against child exploitation and trafficking, reinforcing the community’s resolve to safeguard its youngest and most vulnerable members.
Ray Dawson, Founder of the Invictus Project had the following to say about the project “So often we think the focus of investigations is to arrest a perpetrator, and that is a focus, don’t get me wrong, But the primary focus is to be able to identify and prevent victims because these crimes affect our most vulnerable population, our children.”
“What we have seen today is a testimony of what law enforcement is capable of when they have the manpower, resources, tools, and operational freedom to investigate these crimes the way they should be investigated, to have a proactive approach and a victim-centered approach.”
Click here to read more about The Invictus Project.