This course will examine the pitfalls of both adult and child victims who report delayed disclosure of child sexual abuse.  Investigators will gain insight into the best-case practices to achieve a successful prosecution in these cases. 

Objectives: 

• Learn techniques to engage adult survivors during the interview process, and the concept of control used by the perpetrator over the victim. 
• Realize the importance of the context of the relationship maintained by the perpetrator, and the grooming process. 
• Discuss the concept of affidavit writing to further the investigation to uncover non-traditional evidence. 
• Learn the importance of educating juries through the court process. 
• Examine the case of Commonwealth of PA v. Mancuso, a fifteen-year-old delayed disclosure case involving two trials and four convictions. 

This course will take first responders through the crucial first hours of unexplained child death investigations.   These cases are complex and filled with emotions of non-offending caregivers, family members and suspects.  This course will allow investigators to understand the crucial measures needed to preserve the death scenes as well as maintain relationships with both non-offending caregivers as well as suspects to maximize investigative information.  Attendees will examine the concepts of the importance of statement evidence, patrol interaction, 911 calls, and digital evidence preservation, medical examiner interaction and getting the suspect to the interview / interrogation process, and ultimately successful prosecution. This course will review patrol body worn camera footage on child homicide responses. 

Objectives: 

• Learn about potential pitfalls during the early stages of scene management and ways to minimize them 
• Realize the importance of obtaining 911 calls prior to scene arrival or very early on in the process 
• Discuss engagement techniques for first responding officers to child death scenes. 
• Examine the case of Commonwealth of PA v. Chase Hawley. A homicide of a one-month-old child, and Commonwealth V. Devon Boone, a homicide of a five-year-old child. 

This session will review the recent court cases examining the issue of over broadness in electronic device search warrants, and how investigators can overcome and succeed in light of these guidelines. There will be discussion of forensic data extraction of browsing history and the importance this plays in sexual abuse prosecutions, as well as establishing the nexus between what sexual abuse perpetrators search on devices to make their victimization possible.  Suggestions will be offered for how to use this browsing history to create a persona of the offender to be presented by prosecutors for stronger jury cases, as well as a providing a complete overview of the offender for post-trial classification under the Adam Walsh  Act. 

Objectives: 

• Learn about relevant state and federal case law decisions targeting over broadness of electronic device search warrants. 
• Learn how to craft search warrant affidavits to highlight the nexus between offender browsing history and how they use that information to victimize child victims. 
• Examine the importance of examining older devices as well as best forensic practice for current devices found at search warrant scenes to further the case. 
• Learn the importance of this information in closing arguments in jury cases.