Sen. Ileana Garcia’s February request would fund a platform to integrate investigative data, automate casework and give law enforcement a shared dashboard for child-exploitation probes.
Florida has three federally recognized ICAC task forces, part of a national network of 61 task forces and more than 5,400 officers focused on online child-predation cases.
The House’s holdout comes despite Florida’s broader push to toughen online child-safety enforcement, including 2024 laws on grooming, stings and sex-offender rules and more than 1,400 predator takedowns touted this year.
Lawmakers approved the same $2.1 million project last year, making this year’s split between the chambers a notable break from prior support.
Florida funded this anti-predator tech last year. Why is the same $2.1 million request now facing a legislative deadlock?
As AI-driven child exploitation surges, can a new system truly turn the tide for overwhelmed Florida investigators?