This May, The Crawford Child Advocacy Center (CCAC) received an audio upgrade courtesy of a District Attorney's employee. The Crawford Center is a local nonprofit agency whose mission is to prevent and respond to abuse and victimization through proven child-centered methods, professional forensic interviews, and collaborative advocacy. They achieve this through both prevention efforts and providing forensic interviews for law enforcement and DHS investigations. 

These forensic interviews are essential for prosecuting child abuse in the 8th Judicial District and allow for a safe and comfortable space for victims to share their stories. These interviews are conducted by Crawford's Forensic Interviewers, who are highly trained in interviewing children impacted by abuse. The interview is recorded and provided to law enforcement and the DA’s office once charges have been filed. In addition to interviewing child victims, Crawford also conducts interviews of child witnesses to other serious crimes, and their support has helped on countless major prosecutions. These interviews are a critical piece in child abuse cases and may be played for a jury if a case goes to trial, making the video quality very important.  

The CCAC performed 320 forensic interviews in 2024. This number accounts for 41% of the total cases involving a child victim filed in 2024. The need for trauma-informed interviewing of victims continues to rise, and the CCAC provides essential support to our law enforcement agencies and victims in the community. 

“With funding increasingly uncertain and the need for services continuing to grow, we’ve felt a stronger push to build local partnerships and community support. That’s what makes this kind of generosity so meaningful. We’re deeply grateful for people like Ray and the DA’s Office who go above and beyond to help us serve children and families in crisis. It’s this kind of local support—from partners old and new—that helps sustain our mission, and we welcome others in the community to join us in this work,” said Executive Director of The Crawford Child Advocacy Center, Travis Hitt. 

We are unbelievably grateful for the partnership with The Crawford Child Advocacy Center and the dedicated individuals who provide these interviews. That is why when the technology helping to capture these interviews began experiencing some issues, one of our employees decided to step up. 

Ray Daniel has been with the DA’s Office since 2015 as the IT and Records Manager. A part of his duties is overseeing the evidence department, which processed 98 terabytes of digital evidence in 2024, including these forensic interviews. 

Ray saw an opportunity for better quality recordings with improved audio. He decided to donate not only his time but also the necessary equipment to make these upgrades. 

“Larimer County is really lucky to have resources like the Crawford CAC and the incredible people that work there helping some of our most vulnerable victims,” said District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin. “We are also lucky to have public servants like Ray at our office. Always looking for new ways to improve our service to victims and the community.”

To learn more about The Crawford Child Advocacy Center or to support the work they do, please visit: https://crawfordcac.org/