The Alicia Project

Alicia Kozakiewicz

The AliciaProject has its roots in tragedy, but has grown to become a voice for exploited children.

In January of 2002, its namesake, Alicia, became the victim of an Internet luring. The predator transported her to another state and there, for four terrifying days, held her captive. Returning to school a year later, Alicia was soon highly involved in both academic and extracurricular activities and graduated with high honors. During these years, she came to realize that other children need not suffer her traumatic experiences. She joined her local Pittsburgh, PA Air Search and Rescue group, and created an Internet Safety Program, the AliciaProject, which she presented first in cooperation with the FBI Adopt-A-School program, the COPC Program of her University, and now independently, to schools and organizations.

Alicia has been honored to address a number of conferences, forums, and summits for both governmental and private organizations, lending her personal and unique insight of the subject. She has participated in Internet Safety films for the FBI, the Office of the Pa. Attorney General’s Operation Safe Surf, the Pennsylvania Center for Safe Schools, Enough Is Enough, and the Arts and Entertainment Biography Channel, among others, as well as being the subject of an award winning Internet Safety documentary for PBS. Her story and insight have been featured as part of Internet Safety programs across the nation, and internationally in magazines including ‘People” and Cosmopolitan, in the hope of raising awareness.

Alicia was chosen to receive the 2007 Courage Award by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in recognition of these efforts.

Collaborating with four other young victims, Alicia has recently co-authored “You’re Not Alone,” an OJJDP publication whose goal is to empower other abductees.

Additionally, recognizing the need for effective Internet Safety legislation, Alicia testified before Congress in 2007, and has lobbied successfully for Virginia’s 2008 “Alicia’s Law,” an initiative which she hopes to see instituted in all fifty states.

Now studying at a Pittsburgh University, Alicia is continuing the mission, majoring in Psychology with a concentration in Forensics. Her ultimate goal is to earn the title of Special agent, and to join one of the FBI ICAC taskforces that were instrumental in her rescue.

"I'd like," she says, "to ultimately become the person who rescues the child, and then helps to recover that child's soul."