The fourth NLC Protects seminar was a great success, drawing approximately 125 law enforcement officers and prosecutors from Indiana and Kentucky to Louisville on January 9^th and 10th. 

Introductory remarks were made by U.S. Attorneys David Huber (W.D. Ky.) and Amul Thapar (E.D. Ky.).  Both Huber and Thapar stressed that the protection of children from the harms of sexual exploitation is a top priority in their offices and encouraged cooperation among state and federal law enforcement. 

Additional speakers included Project Safe Childhood representatives from Kentucky and Indiana who provided an overview of their efforts to implement the program.  The representatives reinforced the message of the U.S. Attorneys to take advantage of federal resources and seek stiffer penalties for offenders.

At the conclusion of the seminar, attendees provided anonymous feedback concerning each presentation and the seminar as a whole.  Respondents commented that the speakers were “obviously passionate about their work and very knowledgeable” and that the seminar provided a “broad level of topics appropriate to a multi-disciplinary group of students.”  

The conference in Louisville was the fourth of fifteen seminars to be held across the U.S. in an effort to educate law enforcement officers and attorneys on child sexual exploitation and obscenity crimes. 

The next seminar is scheduled for February 20-22 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama at the University of Alabama School of Law.  Registration is open until February 5^th.  However, interested law enforcement officers and prosecutors should register early, as full capacity is often reached before the final deadline.