Lehi City News
LPD Special Victims Unit receives award for commitment to child safety
Jennifer Thomas | Lehi Free Press
On Jan. 13, 2026, the Lehi City Police Department’s Special Victims Unit/Internet Crimes Against Children (SVU/ICAC) team was awarded the “2025 Commander’s Award Affiliate Agency of the Year” by the Utah Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) during the Lehi City Council Meeting. The team was honored for their hard work and commitment to saving children from abuse and preventing future exploitation.
The Attorney General’s ICAC Task force is comprised of 93 different agencies throughout the state of Utah. Their mission is to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation through online digital platforms, participating in proactive and reactive approaches through prosecution, and most importantly, prevention. Lehi’s SVU/ICAC team works collaboratively with the task force to protect children by combating abuse and exploitation.
Lehi Police noted that they “are honored to work alongside such a dedicated group of individuals and agencies.”
The goal of the Lehi’s SVU/ICAC team is to “take action against individuals who are interested in engaging in sexual activity with children using the internet,” said Lehi Police Sergeant Jeffrey Smith. “This involves gathering evidence of sexually explicit conversations with children and those who send inappropriate pictures to children or ask for nudes from children, and regarding suspects who want to meet children to engage in sexual activity.”
“We are extremely proud of the work that the detectives assigned to the SVU/ICAC team perform each week. Recognition from the Attorney General’s Office is an honor, however, it is not the motivation for the officers or the reason why they dedicate so much of their time and pour all of their hearts into the work,” said Lehi City Police Lieutenant, Kenny Rose. “To save one child from abuse or prevent any abuse occurring in the first place is their motivation and these detectives have been extraordinarily effective in their work.”
In a Facebook post the LPD noted, “the detectives assigned to the team have worked extremely hard throughout the year to help protect the children of our community and this state.”
