The unit is responsible for investigating all criminal cases of physical abuse and neglect of children 14 years of age or younger and sexual abuse of children younger than 17 years of age, occurring in the City of Austin. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to arranging forensic interviews for child victims, interviewing and taking statements of witnesses or suspects, scene preservation, evidence collection and the execution of search and/or arrests warrants. The Department also provides critical and immediate crisis intervention and counseling in addition to follow-up counseling for children and families involved in the criminal justice system. Other services provided by the Department include information and referral for services provided by the Child Protection Team or other local services, community training and education on child abuse and crime victim compensation for victims of abuse.

The unit also investigates offenses against children which utilize electronic media to transmit images of children and/or facilitate the suspect’s criminal behavior. Examples of such offenses which frequently involve an unknown suspect or a non-family member to the child are possession or promotion or the improper photography or visual recording of illicit images of the child (Or say “child pornography” after the word “promotion”). The unit has taken a proactive role in investigating these types of offenses using current day, but evolving technology to protect the child while identifying the involved suspect.

The Austin/Travis County Child Protection Team (CPT) was created in 1991. The goal of the team is to improve the response to abused and neglected children through a collaboration of investigative agencies and community support services.