Predators in the Shadows: Inside the Fight Against Child Predators

Ray Dawson is a former law enforcement officer and the founder of the Invictus Project, a nonprofit organization supporting task forces investigating online crimes against children by providing funding, training, and technology. Zachary Neefe is a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations and a key member of a multiagency child exploitation task force in North Carolina focused on identifying and arresting child predators. Learn more at The Invictus Project Episode Description: In this episode of Zone 7, CSI Sheryl McCollum speaks with Zachary Neefe and Ray Dawson—two frontline defenders in the fight against child exploitation. They take us inside the creation of the Invictus Task Force, a groundbreaking multiagency collaboration in North Carolina that brings together Homeland Security Investigations, local law enforcement, and nonprofit partners under one roof. Zach and Ray share chilling stories from undercover chat ops, explain why today’s predators are more brazen than ever, and break down how the digital world is a breeding ground for grooming and abuse. They also discuss how victim identification, school outreach, and good old-fashioned police work are changing lives—and why parental awareness isn’t optional anymore. Show Notes:  (0:00) Welcome to Zone 7 with guests Ray Dawson and Zachary Neefe (2:00) Building the Invictus Task Force: Collaboration over silos (4:00) The “new white van”: Predators in the digital space (9:00) COVID’s impact on child exploitation and online abuse (11:00) 89.4 million images—what that number really means (12:30) Culture shifts and the normalization of exploitation (14:30) Identifying victims through school visits and student disclosures (17:45) Defining a rescue: Physical extraction vs. intervention (23:30) Victim-centered interviews with offenders (25:30) Tips for parents navigating kids’ online behavior (27:30) “There is no such thing as a part-time predator” (30:00) No collateral duties: Proactive vs. reactive law enforcement (32:00) Inside the chat rooms: How quickly predators strike (34:30) “Let’s stop calling them sex offenders.” — Mike Lew   Thanks for listening to another episode! If you’re liking what you hear, go on and leave us a quick rating and review over on Apple Podcasts. It helps more folks find the show—and keeps us bringing you more stories that matter. ---  Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook Cold Case: Pathways to Justice and the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute—a collaboration between universities, students, and professionals working to advance the study and resolution of unsolved cases.    Social Links:  Email: [email protected]  Twitter: @ColdCaseTips  Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum  Instagram: @officialzone7podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.