This workshop, hosted in a game show format by a former prosecutor and a forensic psychologist, equips attendees to address and refute defenses frequently encountered in child abuse cases. Participants will gain insights into identifying and addressing common defenses in child sex trafficking, online sexual exploitation, and child sexual abuse, and explore practical countermeasures tailored for MDT members.

Trauma can complicate investigations and prosecutions, especially in coercive environments like cults, trafficking networks, and other high-control settings. This workshop covers trauma-related barriers, communication with reluctant witnesses, and evidence-gathering and trial-prep strategies that prioritize safety and account for trauma’s impact on disclosure and testimony.

When a child-abuse suspect is a law enforcement officer, the investigative and prosecutorial challenges intensify. Using real case examples, this training shows how officers exploit authority and equips participants with strategies to handle these complex cases effectively.

False narratives are common in online child-exploitation cases, from excuses for CSAM possession to attacks on digital evidence. This workshop breaks down frequent defense arguments and gives prosecutors concrete strategies to expose and neutralize them from pretrial through sentencing.

Search warrants are pivotal for securing the digital evidence that can make or break a child-exploitation case. This workshop explains how to choose the right legal process, draft precise warrants, navigate provider challenges, and avoid defects that jeopardize investigations.

Digital evidence is now essential for prosecutors. This workshop covers the basics of digital forensics, strategies for admitting social-media and other digital evidence, and how to navigate artifacts, authentication, hearsay, and case law to bridge the gap between the lab and the courtroom.

Even when a child victim recants or cannot speak in court, prosecutors can prevail. This workshop delivers practical investigative and courtroom strategies to anticipate and address recantation, support children throughout the process, and secure convictions when a child cannot or will not testify. Participants will leave equipped to turn silence into strength in the courtroom.

Co-occurring domestic violence and child abuse cases pose distinct challenges for investigators and prosecutors. This workshop offers practical strategies for assessing power dynamics, conducting key interviews, addressing evidentiary issues, and using trauma-informed approaches to anticipate and respond to recantation.

Cross-examination is a high-stakes discipline that demands preparation and precision. Led by a former prosecutor, this workshop teaches targeted strategies to corner adverse witnesses, expose weak narratives, and strengthen child-abuse cases with a clear, tactical approach.

Understanding offender psychology is essential to recognizing, investigating, and proving child sexual abuse. Mindhunters gives professionals practical insight into cognitive distortions, risk indicators, and grooming behaviors—and shows how these dynamics can drive stronger investigations, interviews, and expert testimony.

A child’s testimony is often pivotal, yet many receive little preparation or support. Led by a former prosecutor, this workshop offers trauma-informed, age-appropriate strategies for trial prep, working with reluctant witnesses, securing accommodations, and strengthening testimony without putting the case on the child.

Prosecuting child sexual abuse cases takes courage—and the skill to turn that courage into convictions. This workshop offers a start-to-finish blueprint for winning, from charging decisions to trial strategy, leaving participants equipped to pursue justice for the most vulnerable.

AI-generated media is creating new challenges for investigators and prosecutors in authenticating digital evidence. This workshop covers how to distinguish original from synthetic files, navigate evidentiary hurdles, and apply forensic and legal best practices to protect the integrity of cases in the age of AI.

With rapid advances in AI, new digital threats are creating fresh challenges for MDTs. Led by a former prosecutor, this workshop unpacks the investigative and legal implications of emerging technologies in sexual exploitation and abuse cases.

AI is transforming criminal investigations, offering new capabilities while creating new risks. This session equips investigators and MDT members to use emerging tools ethically, recognize and address synthetic CSAM and other threats, and mitigate AI-driven risks in their work.

Build courtroom confidence and credibility with a workshop tailored for MDT members—especially law enforcement, social services, and forensic interviewers. You’ll learn practical strategies for cross-examination, avoid common testimony pitfalls, and sharpen clear, effective communication with judges and juries.

Despite the presence of corroborating evidence in every child sexual abuse case, child protection professionals often miss the full potential of this vital component. This workshop taught by a former prosecutor equips attendees to maximize various underutilized avenues of corroboration, focusing on forensic interviews, internet of things (IoT) devices, numerous other forms of digital evidence, and tools for practitioners.

Cases involving youth with problematic sexual behavior are tragically common for prosecutors, forensic interviewers, and other MDT members. However, addressing these cases effectively presents complex challenges and considerations. This workshop, taught by a former prosecutor, offers relevant research and tactics for appropriate intervention and prosecution.

Darkest Before Dawn cuts through the unrelenting challenges of child abuse work—online exploitation, AI-driven threats, strained systems—to show what’s actually shifting and why hope is warranted. It delivers grounded strategies, systemic clarity, and practical steps to move child advocacy from perpetual crisis toward lasting impact.

Religious or spiritual themes are often weaponized by perpetrators to justify the abuse of children, and are invoked to avoid accountability and consolidate power within faith communities. This workshop provides best practices, recent trends, and practical tips and corroboration strategies for MDTs to navigate these issues.