Harmless the Podcast

In an emotionally profound and extensive discussion, Eric Oldenburg explores the career and experiences of Josh Findley, a retired HSI Special Agent and pioneering figure in Victim Identification efforts within the ICAC community.

In this episode, your host, Eric Oldenburg, has a very frank and thought provoking conversation with Debbie Garner, a retired ICAC Commander from the Georgia Bureau of Investigations. She served for 8 years, from 2013 until her retirement in 2021. Debbie discusses the importance of mental wellness in law enforcement. 

Debbie, shares her experience in successfully implementing a budget-friendly mental wellness program within her unit, prioritizing the well-being of her team despite the overwhelming caseload.

She emphasizes the significance of creating a supportive culture and recounts harrowing personal stories that highlight the positive impact of her initiatives.

This episode highlights a touching story where Debbie's mental heath support system allowed an investigator to save his own life.

In Part 2 of this compelling and candid interview with a sitting Arizona State Superior Court Judge Brad Astrowsky, host Eric Oldenburg and Judge Astrowsky passionately discuss the traumatic impact of dealing with cases related to the sexual exploitation of minors in the legal domain, specifically on investigators, prosecutors, judges, defense attorneys, and even jury members.

They note the lasting harm such cases can inflict upon these professionals' mental health without appropriate support. They also empathize with the victims of these heinous crimes and stress an initiative for society to confront this issue more openly. They further discuss how technology and the internet have amplified the occurrence and awareness about child exploitation, debating on its implications, how it affects everyone involved, and the need for more substantial mental health resources.

In this insightful interview, the host talks with his longtime friend Brad Astrowsky - a former prosecutor turned judge. Brad shares his journey from law school to specializing in sex crimes prosecution, notably the sexual exploitation of minors. He discusses various memorable cases, highlighting the complexities, challenges, and ethical considerations involved in these sensitive matters. Brad also touches on the huge psychological impact that viewing exploitative images can have on investigators and prosecutors. The conversation candidly explores the realities of the legal process, offering a unique and impactful perspective on the topic.

Eric Oldenburg and Jim Cole discuss Jim's experience working in Child Exploitation Investigations.. They discuss the mental and emotional toll the work takes on investigators, highlighting the vivid and harsh images and experiences they face. The conversation further delves into the ways investigators cope with the trauma, discussing the implementation of the ARMOR program, a specialized peer support program, and how it has supported investigators. Jim touches on personal experiences with survivors, colleagues, case stories, and the importance of seeking professional mental health support.

Harmless the Podcast: Understanding Important Terminologies

In this episode, Eric Oldenburg explains important terminologies and definitions that listeners may come across throughout the podcast. He elaborates on the function and structure of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), the difference between investigations and computer forensic examinations pertaining to internet crimes against children, and the role of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). He also discusses the SHIFT Wellness program that provides support for ICAC investigators, and the technology of 'hashing', used in digital forensic investigation.

Listeners are encouraged to reach out with any queries for further clarification

[email protected]

00:00 Intro

In this episode, host Eric Oldenburg interviews Beth Medina, the leader of The Innocent Justice Foundation(TIJF).

TIJF was established to support the work of Internet crimes against children task force teams across the country.

 Initially, their work focused on providing equipment and resources for investigations. Over time, however, they realized the immense mental health impact the exposure to distressing materials had on their members.

 Hence, they designed and implemented the SHIFT program(Supporting Heroes in Foundational mental health Training), which focuses on mental health and resilience for all those involved in these traumatic investigations.

 Eric and Beth emphasize the importance of being aware and accepting of the emotional trauma attached to their work.

 They touch on the effectiveness of this program in creating awareness, the challenges faced, their personal experiences and motivations, and the potential improvements in the future. 

They conclude with the affirmation about the importance of the resilience program for helping the law enforcement officers handle the traumatic aspects of their job.

Part 3, The Hope is the final part of this conversation that is focused on discussing the psychological impacts of dealing with highly traumatic and stressful situations specifically in policing child crimes investigations, with a focus placed on exploring, sharing, and understanding experiences with PTSD.

Eric and David discuss changes that could be made in law enforcement and investigation departments to better support members facing this kind of trauma.

Discussion topics include the importance of psychological support, changes needed in workflow to reduce exposure, and the crucial aspect of family involvement and understanding.

In Part two of this conversation, The Toll, Eric and David, discuss the mental and emotional toll of their work as investigators in cases involving child exploitation material. They talk about the impact it has had on their personal lives, the strain it put on their relationships, the lack of support from their employers, and the need for greater mental health resources for individuals working in this field.

In part one of this conversation, , The Truth, Eric and David discuss the challenging and traumatic experiences they faced while working in Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigations. David shares his experiences as an investigator and computer forensic examiner, while Eric asks questions and seeks to understand the impact of the job on David's mental health.

 This podcast highlights the disturbing nature of the content they had to review, the toll it took on their well-being, and the importance of their work in protecting vulnerable children.