Nonprofit fighting child sex crimes gets $15K donation
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IDAHO FALLS — A local nonprofit fighting child sex crimes is getting a big response from law enforcement all over the country and a $15,000 donation.
Building Hope Today recently returned from the Crimes Against Children Conference in Dallas, where its staff gave multiple presentations on how to use grooming evidence as law enforcement and in criminal prosecution.
“We now have 48 requests for our training,” Building Hope Today CEO Matt Morgan told EastIdahoNews.com. “Two were from Canada.The rest of them were from anywhere from Maine to Maryland … East Coast to West Coast.”
Bonneville County Prosecutor and Building Hope Today board member Daniel Clark said everyone can agree the successful prosecution of child sex crimes is too low.
Building Hope Today’s website claims less than 6 percent of child sex crimes end with a conviction.
“We’ve got to figure out a way to corroborate victim’s disclosures; grooming does that,” Clark told EastIdahoNews.com. “More than anything else, that’s what was discussed in Dallas. Everybody knows the same problem with the cases. What’s the solution? This may be one of hopefully many ways to solve this issue.”
Morgan said during each of Building Hope Today’s multiple presentations at the conference, the seats were completely full.
Building Hope Today was also selected as one of “Idaho’s Hometown Heroes” by the JRM Foundation for Humanity. JRM Foundation Board Chairman and east Idaho doctor Dr. Fahim Rahim presented Morgan and other Building Hope Today chairmen with a $15,000 check on Tuesday.
“I’ve gotten to know Matt in the last two years, and the work these guys are doing has repercussions for the future of our generations, for our kids,” Rahim said about Building Hope Today.