2508: Victim Interview

Friday, June 25, 2004
9:00am – 12:30pm
Presenter: Martha J. Finnegan

PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION

This workshop will discuss the sexual exploitation of children through the use of computer-facilitated crimes. Forensic interviewing of child exploitation victims as well as the issue of adolescent complicity will be discussed.

PRESENTER BIO

Martha J. Finnegan received her B.A. degree from Providence College in 1990 and her Master of Social Work degree from Tulane University in 1994. Before coming to the FBI, she worked at Children’s Hospital Center for Child Protection in San Diego, CA where she was the Kids in Court Coordinator and a forensic interview specialist. As the Kids in Court Coordinator, she prepared children to testify in court. She also, along with colleagues, developed and implemented a Teens in Court program to meet the needs of adolescents. As a forensic interview specialist, she facilitated legally defensible interviews with children and teenagers in order to obtain information regarding abuse.

Ms. Finnegan next worked as the Victim Witness Specialist at APRI’s National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse, where she was responsible for integrating victim witness issues into APRI trainings and providing technical assistance to victims and child abuse professionals around the country. She was also responsible for coordinating and participating in national, state, and local conferences regarding victim assistance and forensic interviewing issues.

Ms. Finnegan has published an article entitled Creating and Administering a Kids Court Program. She is also co-author of an article entitled The Use of Anatomical Diagrams in Child Sexual Abuse Forensic Interviews.

Currently, Ms. Finnegan is the Child Interview Specialist for Innocent Images, the FBI’s multi-agency investigative initiative to combat child pornography and child exploitation facilitated through the use of online computers. She is available to provide technical assistance and training to all FBI personnel, U.S. Attorneys, and other federal, state, and local agencies in the areas of forensic interviewing and court preparation of child victims. She is also available to conduct child victim interviews and/or help agents locate qualified interviewers in their area. Ms. Finnegan can provide court preparation and accompaniment for child victims who will be testifying in court.

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