MURFREESBORO, TN — In today’s digital age, the Internet is both a powerful tool for learning and a dangerous frontier for exploitation. Every day, predators use technology to target children and teens through social media, gaming platforms, and chat applications. To combat this growing threat, agencies like the Murfreesboro Police Department (MPD) are working closely with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) program — a national network that helps law enforcement respond to technology-facilitated crimes against minors... That was Captain Jeff Keaton who heads the Murfreesboro Police Criminal Investigations Division.
WGNS asked Captain Keeton to explain how criminal cases typically unfold when they involve local suspects accused of participating in the online sexual exploitation of minors...
Interestingly, detectives working such cases usually don't run into the problem of suspects destroying evidence before search warrants are served, and here's why...
Many of the initial leads that spark investigations in the Murfreesboro area come from nearly three hours away...
In one recent case, the MPD was able to determine the location of a child who was being sexually abused and assaulted out of state, ultimately leading way to federal authorities rescuing the young boy...
Serving as a reminder to parents, Keaton noted that most people would be surprised by the types of individuals his team has investigated—people from all walks of life and professions. He added that many citizens would likely be not only surprised but deeply disturbed by the kind of evidence his detectives have uncovered, intercepted, or seized...
A side of the story that’s rarely discussed after an arrest is the devastation felt by the family — the shock of discovering that a husband, a father, or loved one isn’t the person they believed - in most cases - him to be...
He confirmed the suspects often go to great lengths to hide their crimes from family members... The captain also confirmed that the road through the investigative work leading up to the arrest, which is often done without anyone's knowledge on the outside walls of his division, is extensive and routinely leads the offender to prison for a very, very long time...
Local and National Collaboration - Through partnerships with ICAC, agencies like the Murfreesboro Police Department gain access to cutting-edge digital forensics, shared intelligence, and national investigative networks. These collaborations make it possible to identify and arrest offenders across jurisdictional lines and to provide timely assistance to victims.
MORE ON THYE ICAC: The ICAC Task Force Program, launched in 1998 by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), was developed in response to the rapid rise of online child exploitation, the spread of child sexual abuse material, and the increasing number of offenders seeking contact with minors.
Today, the ICAC network includes 61 task forces across the United States — representing nearly 5,500 local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies. These agencies work together to investigate and prosecute offenders, provide victim services, and educate communities about online safety.
Locally, the Murfreesboro Police Department serves as an affiliate partner in this critical mission, helping to track down individuals who use the Internet to exploit children. The department’s work often includes forensic analysis of digital devices, undercover online operations, and proactive investigations to identify offenders before they can cause harm.
The Numbers Tell the Story - In Fiscal Year 2024, ICAC task forces nationwide conducted approximately 203,467 investigations, leading to the arrest of more than 12,600 offenders. That same year, ICAC-trained professionals educated nearly 46,000 law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and investigators on how to detect and prosecute Internet crimes targeting children.
Funding for ICAC operations reached $39.9 million last year (2024), supporting training, technology, and victim assistance under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Missing and Exploited Children appropriation.
These efforts have made a measurable difference — but experts emphasize that the threatening landscape continues to evolve rapidly.
Funding History:
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Fiscal Year 2024—$39.9 million
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Fiscal Year 2023—$40.8 million
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Fiscal Year 2022—$31.2 million
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Fiscal Year 2021—$34.6 million
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