WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Sam Brownback today announced the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Department has been awarded a $557,551 grant from the Justice Department's Internet Crimes against Children Task Force. "I am pleased that the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Department has been awarded this important grant," said Brownback. "These grants are awarded on a competitive basis, and I commend Sheriff Bob Hinshaw and his team on a job well done. I know these funds will be put to good use to protect children from Internet crimes." The funding for the grant comes from the stimulus bill and will be used to maintain and expand state and regional ICAC task forces to address technology-facilitated child exploitation. The task forces work collaboratively as a national network of law enforcement agencies that prevent and investigate Internet crimes against children.