This workshop provides a practical overview of the child-abuse investigation process, from evaluating a child’s outcry through preparing the case for trial. Participants will examine suspect interviews, search warrants, social media evidence, and other investigative strategies used to build strong, admissible cases.

This workshop examines interrogation strategies that go beyond obtaining a confession, focusing instead on developing accurate, voluntary corroboration of known facts in child abuse and human trafficking cases. Participants will learn how rapport, structure, and strategic questioning can help confirm timelines, relationships, motives, and actions.

This workshop explores the use of one-party-consent recorded phone calls as an investigative tool in child sexual abuse cases. Participants will learn how to prepare victims, conduct effective calls, and use recorded statements to corroborate allegations and strengthen suspect interviews.

This workshop examines the Anthony “Macc Bucc” Johnson trafficking case to explore how traffickers recruit, manipulate, and maintain control over victims—and why victims may remain loyal despite severe exploitation. Detective David Clark also breaks down the multi-jurisdictional investigative strategies used to corroborate victim accounts and build a prosecutable case.

This workshop explores how to bridge communication gaps between Multi-Disciplinary Team members and survivors to improve case outcomes in child maltreatment investigations. By integrating the perspectives of a veteran prosecutor and a survivor-advocate, the session provides practical strategies for trauma-informed collaboration that balances the pursuit of justice with the survivor’s long-term journey.

In this session, Melanie Barton shares her survivor journey, from navigating the Child Advocacy Center and court process as a child, to healing from pelvic pain/dysfunction, and learning to love and be loved after trauma. Through personal photos and stories, she highlights how the CAC model and her forensic interview helped her find her voice, the vital role her MDT played, and her 20-year path of healing, faith, and purpose. She also reflects on her more than 10-year career in victim services and advocacy.

This workshop offers a candid perspective on the realities women face in law enforcement, including culture, leadership barriers, and workplace dynamics. Participants gain practical strategies for career longevity, resilience, and navigating gendered challenges while strengthening agency support and equity.

This workshop addresses cumulative stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue across a law enforcement career, with a focus on long-term resilience rather than short-term fixes. Participants gain practical tools to recognize early warning signs, protect their well-being, and sustain both professional effectiveness and personal health.

This foundational session covers best practices for investigating child abuse and neglect, from scene response through MDT coordination. Participants learn to recognize abuse indicators, gather and leverage evidence, and conduct trauma-informed interviews while effectively working with CACs and partner agencies.

This workshop equips law enforcement with strategies for investigating child maltreatment cases when suspects deny or withhold admissions. Participants learn psychologically informed interview techniques to build rapport, counter cognitive distortions, and develop strong, confession-independent cases ready for court.

This workshop examines how offenders weaponize religious authority and theology to silence victims and evade accountability. Participants learn to recognize spiritual abuse, identify institutional self-protection tactics, and apply effective corroboration and interviewing strategies in faith-based investigations.

This case study traces a child torture investigation that began with a late-night 911 call and ended in justice for Audryna. Led by the case investigator, the session examines investigative strategy, complex medical evidence, and the lasting personal impact of secondary trauma on the professionals involved.

This workshop examines the research showing that truly fabricated child maltreatment allegations are rare. Participants learn to distinguish fabricated claims from suggestive questioning and coerced recantations, and to avoid premature conclusions that undermine investigations.

This specialized workshop equips investigators with the tactical, psychological, and legal foundations of undercover chat operations in online child exploitation cases. Participants learn to build credible digital personas, manage high-risk communications, secure admissions, and document evidence that supports apprehension and prosecution.

In this session, survivor and advocate Melanie Barton shares the small moments that had outsized impact on her healing from sexual abuse. Drawing on lived experience and professional training, she equips professionals to better support children, teens, caregivers, and families from a survivor-centered perspective.

This session examines how legal, medical, psychological, and survivor-centered perspectives intersect in child abuse cases and how effective MDT collaboration drives successful outcomes. Through cross-disciplinary discussion and case examples, participants learn to use medical evidence, expert testimony, and coordinated communication to support survivors and strengthen prosecution.

This workshop explores how sexual trauma can impact the body long after abuse, often beyond conscious awareness. Through Melanie’s story and Dr. Saar’s clinical insight, participants examine the mind–body connection, non-linear healing, and the vital role of trauma-informed medical care in survivor recovery.

This workshop uses survivor-advocate Melanie’s story to show how sexual trauma can manifest physically years later, including pelvic pain and dysfunction. Participants explore the non-linear nature of healing and the critical role of trauma-informed medical care in a survivor’s path to recovery.

This session follows survivor Melanie Barton’s case from disclosure through trial and long-term impact, presented in conversation with forensic psychologist Dr. Timothy Saar. Together, they examine prosecution missteps, the effects of trial on victims, effective testimony preparation, and post-trial support.

This case study examines the investigation and prosecution surrounding the death of 14-year-old Emily Hampshire, whose mother concealed her Type 1 diabetes, leading to fatal neglect. The session highlights how a coordinated MDT uncovered the truth and secured justice in a close-knit community.