Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Contact: Jessica Robinson, 573-751-0290
Blunt Presents Grant to Protect Children from Internet Predators
PLATTE CITY–Gov. Matt Blunt today presented the Western Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force with a check for $260,265.82 to help protect Missouri's children from Internet predators.
"We can have no higher priority than protecting Missouri children from danger," Gov. Blunt said. "Sexual predators are dangerous and they are on-line. These grants will help ensure that Missouri's law enforcement community has the tools and resources they need to make the Internet safer for our children."
Gov. Blunt's leadership has ensured that Missouri has one of the toughest sex offender laws in the country. Missouri's version of Jessica's Law mandates a lifetime sentence with a minimum of 30 years for serious sexual crimes that are committed against young children and calls for certain sex offenders to be monitored their entire lives. One provision of the law gives the Department of Public Safety the authority to create the Internet Cyber Crime Grant program to assist law enforcement officials in investigating dangerous Internet crimes, especially sex crimes exploiting children.
The Cyber Crime Grant Program distributes funding to support detectives' salaries, training and computer forensic personnel who focus on preventing and controlling Internet cyber crime ultimately improving public safety. The state budget for fiscal year 2008 provides a total of $1.25 million for the cyber grant program including $250,000 in grants for equipment purchases.