A mathematical model is developed for the new nondestructive optical technique called laser-beam-induced currents (LBIC), which can be used to detect electrically active regions and defects in semiconductors. The wellposedness of the model equations is shown, and an approximate model that simplifies the numerical implementation of the identification problem is obtained. Some numerical results are presented to show that the approximate model preserves the significant features that the LBIC technique has been experimentally shown to possess.