The Woodlands Edition | October 2024

BY VANESSA HOLT CONTRIBUTIONS FROM JOVANNA AGUILAR, ANGELA BONILLA & CARSON WEAVER

Some context

What they’re saying

Going forward

The Precinct 3 Constable’s O ce also collab- orates with other law enforcement agencies, including local school districts. Conroe ISD Police Chief Matt Blakelock said the district’s police department has jurisdiction over the 348 square miles of CISD, but its focus is on crimes that occur on campus. The resources available to the Precinct 3 Con- stable’s O ce allow it to partner with agencies like the CISD Police Department, Acosta said. “We’ve been involved in their investigations [because] we have a little more resources,” Acosta said. “We have a forensic examiner trained to download [materials from] cell phones and computers to nd evidence.” The CISD Police Department provides outreach courses for students and adults on a variety of topics relating to child exploitation such as personal safety, internet safety and victim awareness, which includes: • Tips to avoid tra ckers • What to do if you witness a crime • Information about self-defense weaponry The department also operates: • A 24/7 phone line, 1-888-KID¦CHAT, for anonymous tips • Anonymous Alerts, a texting app • Safe School Crime Stoppers, a program that works with law enforcement “All reports are investigated,” Blakelock said. “Often, students will report concerns to an o cer or a counselor, which aords us the opportunity to investigate to determine if a crime has occurred.”

A new frontier in the £ght against child exploitation is computer-generated or AI material, which complicates matters for a digital forensics o¥cer trying to prove that an incident took place, o¥cials said. Seufert said he has asked the o¥ce of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and the Senate Criminal Justice Committee to look into legislation against “deep fake” sexual abuse material in the next legislative session. “With the current laws, it’s a huge burden on us to prove in every case, when these images get to be indistinguishable … that it’s an actual child,” Seufert said. At the federal level, on Sept. 18, Sen. John Cornyn was among the eight U.S. legislators to introduce a measure called the Protect our Children Act that they said would reauthorize the national Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program to support programs across the country. Seufert said local law enforcement in Montgomery County is prioritizing the prosecution of o«enders who target children. “We hope the message has got out that if you’re going to try to exploit children, Montgomery County is not the place to do it,” Seufert said. The national Protect Our Children Act would: • Update and modernize the requirements for the National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction • Provide liability protection for Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces • Make technical improvements and clariications to statutory text • Reauthorize the ICAC Program through 2027

“Without a doubt, the addition of the extra two detectives has really increased our workload and

productivity; this is a very proactive unit.” CAPT. ADAM ACOSTA, MONTGOMERY COUNTY PRECINCT 3 CONSTABLE’S OFFICE

“We’ve actually had residents whose parents were their trackers when they were as young as

4 years old, trading them to pay the rent on the apartment.” BOBBIE MARK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, REDEEMED MINISTRIES

“Since 2020, unfortunately, COVID[-19] did part of the job

for the predator by isolating everyone.” DAWN CANDY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HANDS OF JUSTICE

SOURCE: SEN. JOHN CORNYN WEBSITE COMMUNITY IMPACT

There’s a new storyteller in the driver’s seat. Hop In & Travel With Us for Season 53 of Texas Country Reporter with new host J.B. Sauceda.

THE WOODLANDS EDITION