Being a Highly Qualified Expert for the Criminal Investigations Division of the US Army was a great honor and a professional highlight for me. And it afforded me the opportunity of meeting some phenomenal people, some of whom became close friends; one of those is COL Tim Cocanaugher, Ret. Tim was an attorney in the JAG Corps, as well as one of the top investigators of the Army National Guard, Office of Complex Investigations (OCI)—created to investigate reports of rape and sexual assault within the ranks of the National Guard.

Tim agreed to be interviewed for SASS, so that he and I could discuss his experiences as both a prosecutor and an investigator (OCI). There are several learning points for my listeners this week, that can have a positive impact on my audience of sex crime prosecutors, criminal and civil investigators, as well as for lay-persons who will have the opportunity to gain insight into how important it is to understand various aspects of investigating and prosecuting sex crimes. Things to listen for:

• The impact of being trauma-informed, from a prosecutor’s perspective.
• How not interrupting the victim/survivor of a sexual assault or rape during an investigative interview can have a great impact on the victim and the investigation itself.
• The importance of an empathetic approach in investigating sexual assault/rape.
• The cathartic effect on victims/survivors by empathic, trauma-informed investigators and prosecutors.

I appreciate the time that Tim took to be my guest, and to share his experiences and insights with us. Keep in mind that Tim and I are available for a two-day, trauma-informed investigation and interview training course. Contact me for further information.