Diana Franklin and her husband raised three biological sons and then adopted an eight-year-old girl. After the adoption was final, the child was subjected to emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, which involved locking her in outbuildings, including a chicken coop, beatings, shocking her with a dog shock collar, withholding food, and using a firearm. Franklin memorialized the abuse in handwritten journals. The child made outcries to law enforcement but was not rescued until years later after an anonymous tip was received by child protective services. The presenter will discuss the abuse that occurred during the years the child resided with her adopted family, the child's outcries to local law enforcement during the years of abuse, and the investigation and prosecution that followed which resulted in a sentence of 190 years in prison. Attendees will better understand the importance of conducting interviews with witnesses and obtaining search warrants during crimes against children investigations. The presenter will emphasize the importance of law enforcement officers collaborating with child protective services and child advocacy centers during criminal investigations.
Learning Objectives:
Gain an understanding of the importance of executing search warrants in crimes against children investigations
Understand the importance of collaborating with partners during crimes against children investigations
Recognize the importance of tracking cases from investigation through prosecution
