From the State’s Attorney:
McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office Creates Crimes Against Children Task Force
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office is proud to announce the formation of the Crimes Against Children Task Force.
This task force was created by the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office in conjunction with 20 local McHenry County police departments to ensure the most thorough and comprehensive investigations for reports of physical or sexual abuse to a child.
Child abuse can be one of the most difficult crimes to investigate and prosecute.
This crime is often committed behind closed doors, without any independent witnesses.
The victims are our most vulnerable and helpless members of society who often have a difficult time disclosing abuse.
Due to this, these investigations not only require an extraordinary amount of time, but also investigators with a specialized knowledge and skillset.
With the creation of this task force, all reports of child abuse within the 20 participating jurisdictions will be turned over to this specialized unit comprised of investigators who are highly trained and experienced in child abuse investigations.
The task force’s time will be solely dedicated to investigating these offenses and pursuing justice on behalf of these victims.
Amy Bucci has been appointed as the Director and Lead Investigator of the Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Amy brings a wealth of law enforcement experience to her new position, having previously served as a police officer for the Algonquin Police Department over 26 years.
Since being trained as a forensic interviewer in 2009, Amy has investigated countless cases involving child abuse.
Aside from being a forensic interviewer, Amy is a state-certified instructor for sexual assault investigations and a former President of the McHenry County Juvenile Association.
Amy is also a McHenry County Investigations Assistance Team (MIAT) investigator and a McHenry County Human Trafficking Task Force investigator.
Jason Greenwald has also been appointed as an Investigator with the Crimes Against Children Task Force. Jason also brings a wealth of law enforcement experience to his new position, having previously served as a police officer for 24 years, most recently with the Johnsburg Police Department.
At the Johnsburg Police Department, Jason served as a detective who investigated all types of criminal offenses, including child abuse.
Jason has been a Juvenile Officer since 2000 and a school resource officer since 2019. Jason has received specialized training related to investigations involving children, including but not limited to, training in Child Abuse and Neglect, missing and endangered children, sexual assault investigator training, trauma informed responses to sexual assault and abuse, and cybercrimes.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office has assigned an Assistant State’s Attorney to work with the task force. This prosecutor will work daily with the task force to assist in reviewing investigations, providing input regarding follow up or investigative leads and deciding if criminal charges are appropriate.
The McHenry County Child Advocacy Center has generously allowed the task force to work at their facility.
In addition to providing advocacy services, the Child Advocacy Center currently assists all local law enforcement agencies and DCFS by conducting child-sensitive, forensic interviews of children.
Housing the task force at the CAC will help create a true multi-disciplinary team approach to all task force investigations.
The task force will work with the CAC to provide comprehensive support and services to children who have been victims of abuse.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office recognizes the magnitude of child abuse cases and is committed to bringing perpetrators to justice while providing support and care for the children affected.
The Crimes Against Children Task Force is a significant step towards achieving this goal. The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office would like to thank the following police agencies for their participating in such a groundbreaking task force for this community: Barrington Hills Police Department, Bull Valley Police Department, Cary Police Department, Crystal Lake Park District Police Department, Fox River Grove Police Department, Hebron Police Department, Holiday Hills Police Department, Island Lake Police Department, Johnsburg Police Department, Lakemoor Police Department, Lakewood Police Department, Marengo Police Department, McHenry County College Police Department, McHenry County Conservation District Police Department, Oakwood Hills Police Department, Prairie Grove Police Department, Richmond Police Department, Spring Grove Police Department, Union Police Department and the Wonder Lake Police Department.
The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office would also like to thank the McHenry County Child Advocacy Center for their continued support and cooperation in not only the creation of this task force but the overall pursuit of justice for victims of child abuse.