The West Virginia Bar Foundation Board of Directors approved a $5,000 grant to Child Protect of Mercer County, Inc. to fund its digital evidence management software. Child Protect is a community-based organization designed to serve child victims of abuse and neglect, their protective caregivers, and any/all victims of sexual assault within Mercer County, WV.
During its most recent data quarter, April to June 2024, details that 73 children participated in a video and audio-recorded forensic interview at Child Protect during this time period. All 73 of these recorded interviews were secured as digital evidence through the management software. This software ensures that a digital copy of the recorded interview remains in a secure file system that can be downloaded and shared with investigators, attorneys, and judges when requested. This digital evidence system vastly reduces the risk of losing or misplacing a physical hard-copy recording of the forensic interview, which often serves as a key piece of evidence in court.
The picture shown above, on the left, is a picture of WV Bar Foundation Board Member Debra Kilgore (on right) with Child Protect of Mercer County's Executive Director Shiloh Woodard (on left). | 
