Two hours after he was sworn in as Canyon County's prosecutor Monday morning, John Bujak announced two moves to enhance his office's handling of gang crimes and online crimes against children.

Flanked by Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden and Marc Haws, first assistant U.S. attorney for Idaho, Bujak signed a document to join the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and announced that the U.S. attorney's special gang prosecutor soon will be quartered in the Canyon County prosecutor's office.

"We'll have access to better training and better resources in order to combat Internet crimes against children in Canyon County," Bujak said as he officially added his office to the 44 prosecutor and police agencies statewide that have joined the coalition since it was formed a year ago. Canyon and Ada county sheriff's offices already belong to the task force, as do Boise police and prosecutor's offices in Ada, Elmore, Gem and Boise counties.

"This is the second-largest county in the state. We certainly welcome you aboard," Wasden said, saying the task force fights child pornography and online enticement of children for sex. "This is a win-win-win for all of us."

In his successful campaign to unseat longtime prosecutor Dave Young, Bujak promised to cooperate and collaborate with state, federal and local agencies. Monday's moves are part of that effort, he said.

For nearly two years, local communities via the Treasure Valley Partnership have banded together to help fund a special assistant U.S. attorney to prosecute gang cases.

That prosecutor has been based in Owyhee County but now will work out of Canyon County, "where there clearly seems to be more of a gang problem," Bujak said.

Special prosecutor Christian Nafzger has been hired by the U.S. attorney's office in Boise, and his replacement, who will work out of Canyon County, will be announced soon, Haws said.

The program, which started in February 2007, has been successful beyond expectations, he said.

Bujak said the new special assistant U.S. attorney will be part of the Canyon prosecutor's gang team. Cases that involve gang leaders would be pursued by the federal prosecutor, while others would be handled by county prosecutors, he said.

Kristin Rodine: 377-6447