SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's ICAC task force has been investigating cases of child sexual abuse material or CSAM. Last year, they received more than 11,000 cyber tips for individuals involved with said material.
For more than 25 years, they have worked to get perpetrators offline and to help children.
Captain Sete Aulai is with the Utah Attorney General's Office and commander of ICAC. According to Aulai, the squad now has a state-wide reach.
“From Logan to St. George, from Moab out to Tooele, 96 affiliate agencies with over 230 task force officers, part of Utah’s ICAC," said Aulai.
Those officers investigate tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, or NCMEC.
In 2025, Utah received more than 11,000 of those cyber tips.
When agents prioritize a case and begin an investigation, cyber evidence is typically on their side, according to Capt. Aulai.
“It’s not easy to view these pictures and videos of children, being sexually abused," said Aulai.
Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Ormond agreed.
“You’re having to view and look at and describe those images in search warrants and subpoenas and court affidavits. There’s no doubt that was some of the hardest stuff I’ve done in my career. I’ve been in law-enforcement for 21 years," he said.
Sgt. Ormond was once part of the Utah County Sheriff's ICAC squad.
“When I was in the ICAC task force, we met monthly with counselors and therapists. I’ve gone through a lot of that on my own as well just to help process and deal with those. Because there are some of the most horrific things I’ve seen as a human, let alone in law enforcement," he said.
But at the end of the day, Sgt. Ormond said the reward comes from successful investigations and saving children.
“And we’ve actually been able to not only locate a perpetrator who’s been viewing these images, but [also] creating them with an in-house, hands-on victim. And we were able to rescue those people. Those are also some of the highlights of my career," he said.
