In 1992, the Lackawanna County District Attorney's Office, through a grant funded by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, recognized the need for specially trained prosecutors and law enforcement officers equipped to deal with the complex issues surrounding sexual assault crimes by creating the Child Abuse/Sexual Assault Unit. Initially, the Unit consisted of one (1) full-time Assistant District Attorney and two (2) law enforcement officers. The goal of the Unit was to help break the cycle of sexual assault and develop the tools necessary to more efficiently and effectively prosecute crimes of sexual violence. Currently, the Unit is staffed by three (3) full-time Assistant District Attorney's, two (2) Assistant District Attorneys who are assigned part-time to the Unit and two (2) county detectives.
Both the attorneys and investigators have considerable experience and training in prosecuting cases of child abuse & neglect, including sexual & physical assault, child exploitation & pornography as well as intercepting online predators.
Moreover, SVU Investigators are active members in a nationwide Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) working in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to arrest and prosecute online exploitation of children.
SVU Investigators are also available to speak to groups and organizations on the topic of online safety for children as well as providing Internet Safety Tips for Parents.
Multidisciplinary Approach
Shortly after its creation, the Unit recognized the need for a multidisciplinary approach to both investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases. To that end, partnerships were developed between the District Attorney's Office, the Lackawanna County Department of Children and Youth Services and a variety of social service agencies to better effectuate the goal of the multidisciplinary investigation. Moreover, an extensive effort was undertaken to provide specialized training to law enforcement officers, educators and variety of other disciplines in recognizing signs of abuse. Currently, a Child Abuse Protocol is in place to provide consistency in the handling of such cases by prosecutors, police and social services.
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The Children's Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania
One of the greatest accomplishments of the District Attorney's Office in preventing and prosecuting child abuse was seen with the advent of the Children's Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania (CAC). The CAC is staffed by a forensic pediatrician, nurse practitioner and a victim services advocate and is accessible to both police and social services agencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is located on 1710 Mulberry Street in Scranton, PA or at www.nepacac.com.
More Information
If you need more information, you may contact the Special Victims Unit at 570-963-6717 or the CAC at 570-969-7313.
Special Victims Unit Supervisor:
Deputy DA, Michelle Olshefski
Child Abuse/Neglect Team:
1st Assistant DA Gene Talerico
Assistant DA Ellen Granahan
Assistant DA Mariclare Hayes
Deputy DA Gene Riccardo
Investigators:
Detective Chris Kolcharno
Detective Michelle Mancuso-Rudalavage
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