Child Abuse remains a significant social issue in our community. To better help and protect these young victims, the Austin Police Department joined in establishing the Austin/Travis County Child Protection Team in 1991. The goal of the team is to improve the response to abused and neglected children through a collaboration of agencies and community services. By working together, members of the team can provide more comprehensive service while minimizing the trauma of multiple interviews and bureaucratic processing as an investigation makes it way through the system. The following agencies make up the Austin/Travis County Child Protection Team:
All Law Enforcement jurisdictions in Travis County
Austin Police Department
Austin Independent School District
Child Assessment Program/Children's Hospital of Austin
Dell Children’s Hospital
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
Travis County Center for Child Protection
Travis County District Attorney
Travis County Sheriff's Office
APD's Child Abuse Unit
As part of the Austin/Travis County Child Protection Team, the Child Abuse Unit of the Austin Police Department is responsible for investigating all criminal cases of physical abuse and neglect of children 14 years of age or younger, and sexual abuse of children younger than 17 years of age, occurring in the City of Austin. Responsibilities include interviewing and taking statements of witnesses and suspects, evidence collection, scene preservation, and execution of search and arrest warrants. The Department also provides necessary immediate crisis intervention and counseling, as well as follow-up counseling for children and families involved in the criminal justice system. Other services provided by the Department include information and referral for services, community training and assistance with victim's compensation. Non-Family Child Exploitation Section
APD's Child Abuse Unit has taken a proactive role in protecting child abuse victims both within and outside the family. In order to address abuse or exploitation of children associated with emerging technologies such as the Internet, the Child Abuse Unit has created a special section for non-family related child exploitation. The Child Exploitation section will deal specifically with cases involving sexual abuse, promotion of child pornography, or promotion of child prostitution by non-family, unrelated suspects. While the Child Abuse Unit has always investigated cases of this type, the new non-family Child Exploitation section will bring expertise and focus to non-family investigations within a system that is primarily geared toward cases of domestic child abuse. What to Do
If you know of a situation involving family-related abuse or neglect of a child, call the Child Abuse Hotline at (800) 252-5400 or 9-1-1.
If you encounter situations or material that may involve non-family related exploitation of children, call the Child Exploitation section of the Austin Police Department's Child Abuse Unit at (512) 974-6880 or by e-mail at
child.abuse@ci.austin.tx.us.
The following information may help you recognize situations which involve child exploitation:
The Possession, Manufacture, and Distribution of Child Pornography
Child pornography has been defined under federal statute as a visual depiction of a minor (child younger than 18) engaged in sexually explicit conduct. This industry is far from a harmless phenomenon. Many publications catering to this market are directly linked to child-prostitution rings and provide users with names of available youths or sex-tour operations.
The Online Enticement of Children For Sexual Acts
People often send messages on the Internet without revealing their identity. Adults, some of whom may actually pose as teenagers, may want -- through online contact -- to meet a child for sexual purposes. Use of the Internet to entice, invite, or persuade a child to meet for sexual acts, or to help arrange such a meeting, is a serious offense.
Child Prostitution
Many children are sexually exploited by adults who encourage or force them to prostitute themselves. Some of these adults are "pimps" who demand that the children give their earnings to them. Some may play other roles in aiding the child to provide sex for money, including transporting the child from one state to another with the intention that the child work as a prostitute. These are all serious crimes.
Child-Sex Tourism
Sex tourism or, more specifically, traveling to a foreign country in search of sex, has become a well-developed component of the commercial-sexual exploitation of children. Glossy brochures as well as web sites on the Internet advertise packages for travelers complete with air fare, hotel, and directions to local brothels. The sex-tourism industry is most prevalent in Asia, where approximately 1 million children are prostitutes. This epidemic, however, is spreading to other poverty-ridden areas of the world such as Latin America and Eastern Europe. A heightened awareness of this heinous violation of children's rights will help curb this growing problem.
Child Sexual Molestation (not in the family)
Child sexual exploitation (not in the family), also known as extra-familial child sexual abuse, includes all sexual exploitation of a child by someone other than a family member. These cases most frequently occur when a child is in the care of someone they know and trust such as a neighbor, care provider, or friend's parent. For more information on child sexual exploitation, please visit www.missingkids.com
