The 22nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office has formally launched the Special Victims Unit Task Force (SVU-TF), a regional, multi-agency initiative dedicated to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting crimes against children.
The Task Force includes the Franklinton Polie Department, the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Bogalusa Police Department.
The task force was formed in direct response to the overwhelming number of cyber tips received by the Attorney General’s Office from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Many of these leads involve the online exploitation of children and lead to identifying hands-on predators. The volume of leads specifically involving our region is just too many for any one agency to address.
“Simply put, the need exceeded the state’s capacity or any one local agency working in isolation,” said District Attorney Collin Sims. “We couldn’t sit back while these cases piled up. These tips aren’t just data points. They represent real children, in real danger, right here in our own communities. The problem needed a force multiplier approach”
Each year, the number of forensic interviews conducted at the Hope House Children’s Advocacy Center continues to rise- clear evidence that child abuse and exploitation remain a pervasive threat. The SVU Task Force aims to proactively target the predators behind these offenses before they escalate.
“We’ve seen far too many cases where offenders begin with online grooming or possession of child sexual abuse material and quickly escalate to contact offenses,” Sims emphasized. “By forming this task force, we are sending a message to child predators: we are watching, we are coordinated, and we are coming for you.”
•Participating agencies include:
22nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office
Louisiana Attorney General’s Office
United States Secret Service
Department of Homeland Security
Louisiana State Police
Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office
Bogalusa Police Department
Franklinton Police Department
St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office
Mandeville Police Department
Covington Police Department
Slidell Police Department
Pearl River Police Department
Madisonville Police Department
Folsom Police Department
Each agency brings unique resources and expertise to the task force, which will operate with a unified approach—from the moment a tip is received to the prosecution of the case in court. Task force operations will include joint investigations, shared intelligence, and coordinated victim services through Hope House.
“Our goal is not only to respond effectively but to prevent future harm,” said DA Sims. “We owe it to our children to pursue these cases with the full force of every tool at our disposal.”
The SVU Task Force begins immediate operations and will meet regularly to coordinate efforts, track trends, and ensure ongoing training for all involved personnel.
On Tuesday, August 19th at 10 AM, there will be a press conference at the Children’s Advocacy Center - Hope House, located at 223 W 28th Ave. in Covington. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill is planning to be present along with DA Collin Sims and many other leaders of our local law enforcement agencies in both Washington and St. Tammany parishes, along with representatives from the United States Secret Service and Homeland Security Investigations.
