Indianapolis, In. — The 2019 legislative session reached its halfway point, with Senate bills moving to the House for consideration and approved House bills crossing over to the Senate. This half, I am sponsoring two pieces of legislation that would work to prevent internet crimes against young Hoosiers and support victims of sexual assault.
According to the Indiana State Police, the growth of technology has resulted in an increase of crimes against children on the internet. We must do everything we can to protect our children, and this legislation would work to bring additional support to communities that may not be fully equipped to handle these types of investigations.
The legislation would establish the Internet Crimes Against Children Fund that would be administered by the Indiana State Police. The bill would allow local law enforcement agencies to apply for grants from this fund to train and equip officers to investigate crimes against children through the internet. My hope is that this grant will enable our law enforcement agencies to take action to better identify and effectively stop these crimes.
Unfortunately, horrific crimes span all types of situations, and the processes for testing forensic kits can sometimes take an extended period of time without the victim knowing the status. To support sexual assault survivors, I am working to establish a tracking system for sexual assault kits as they go through the forensic process. Survivors would have the option to receive notification on where their kit is in the process.
Additionally, the Victim Services Division of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute would reimburse hospitals or licensed service providers who administer these forensic medical exams. These crucial updates are imperative to making processes more transparent.
We want to do everything we can to ensure the safety of vulnerable children and crime victims. If you have any questions or input on this legislation or others, contact me at 317-234-9450 or [email protected].
