WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Virginia law enforcement officers have tracked 19,357 hard drives that contain hard-core child pornography but lack the resources to go after the offenders, they told state lawmakers Wednesday.

Only 48 officers across Virginia are trained to target online predators, and most are assigned to the issue part time, according to Jesse Ferguson, a spokesman for Del. Brian Moran.

“That’s 19,357 people that we can identify today that as of right now we do not have the resources and capacity to arrest and prosecute,” Ferguson said.

A 2005 Department of Justice study found that 55 percent of people who possessed child pornography also had committed contact offenses with children.

Moran has proposed state legislation that would allocate $18 million toward expanding Virginia’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program, a Justice Department-funded initiative that trains officers and coordinates efforts for targeting cyber criminals.

“In one of the smaller police departments in the state, one of the officers who trained to do this is also a patrol officer,” said Tim Evans, a captain with the Virginia State Police who is Northern Virginia’s ICAC task force commander. “There are people who are very, very dedicated who do this on top of other responsibilities.”

Fairfax County, Arlington County and Alexandria have some of the most active cyber-criminal units in the state and have multiple trained officers, Evans said.

In December and January, three undercover operations in Northern Virginia netted 60 child-porn or child solicitation cases, including Matthew McGuire, the Chantilly High School Spanish teacher and track coach who was charged with soliciting a minor online, Evans said.

The Howard University men’s soccer coach, Joseph Okoh, also was charged with soliciting a minor online, Evans said.

The number of Northern Virginia jurisdictions that have affiliated with the task force has been growing rapidly. Seventeen new jurisdictions joined last year — an effort that involves paying for cyber-crime tracking software and equipment and training at least one officer in the department.

Michelle Collins, director of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said the center receives about 2,000 reports of online child exploitation a week. She said she supports allocating more resources to the issue, but that most Virginia law-enforcement officials she deals with are responsive and prepared.

“We really have had fantastic experience with them.”

tluntz@dcexaminer.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

10:30 PM MST on Thu., Feb. 7, 2008 re: "Va. police say they lack resources to prosecute nearly 20,000 hard drives filled with child porn"

Examiner Reader said:
The richest county according to who? They worry more about a rail for developers. When it comes to safety they are all full of you know what

Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

10:28 PM MST on Thu., Feb. 7, 2008 re: "Va. police say they lack resources to prosecute nearly 20,000 hard drives filled with child porn"

Examiner Reader said:
Ask senator Dick Coleslaw to take it from a pet project He is such a braggart. They spent themselves to death to win a senate seat now ask the senator who one the million dollar seat, to go and have a auction The debate after all was about safety for our children so let the democrats, put the cup in hand and stand at red lights and collect the money

2 agree | 0 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

10:17 PM MST on Thu., Feb. 7, 2008 re: "Va. police say they lack resources to prosecute nearly 20,000 hard drives filled with child porn"

Examiner Reader said:
Blame the democrats who are running this new Gen assembly maybe they want it this way? Or maybe the senate leader who cant stand anything moral except decay and power is behind another we do not have the funds issue The police should demand this or sell some cruisers and save the gas! Thats an idea less cruisers on I 66 and I 95 and pay for the security of our kids

1 agree | 0 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

8:24 AM MST on Thu., Feb. 7, 2008 re: "Va. police say they lack resources to prosecute nearly 20,000 hard drives filled with child porn"

Examiner Reader said:
The article could have mentioned the recent police officer arrested for child porn, citing a school teacher.

2 agree | 1 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

8:15 PM MST on Wed., Sep. 12, 2007 re: "Md. man sentenced after Australian uncovers child pornography"

Sidneyyana said:
Castrating men who sexually assault children would not take away the urge to molest. Therefore, leaving any other issues aside for the moment and just looking at it as a practical matter, the punishment would not be effective. Sexual predators can find innumerable ways to molest that don't involve genital contact. Also, this remedy entirely discounts the fact that there are many *female* offenders who prey on children. What should be done about them? I do have a question about this child's present and future safety, however. Since he has apparently been molested numerous times while living with his mother, how can it be certain that he will now have a safer, therapeutic environment in which to begin to heal? This brave young man (and all children) deserves so much better than this.

45 agree | 54 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

5:22 PM MST on Wed., Sep. 12, 2007 re: "Md. man sentenced after Australian uncovers child pornography"

Examiner Reader said:
Castrate the sex abusers, cut the tongue of the liar, hands of he thief, eyes of the stalker, Old testament right?

31 agree | 33 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate

3:53 PM MST on Wed., Sep. 12, 2007 re: "Md. man sentenced after Australian uncovers child pornography"

Examiner Reader said:
Outside of the death penalty, mandatory castration is the only answer or solution to these child sexual abusers such as Roderick Parks and Frank Portanova. I realize that the bleeding heart liberals will scream loudly at this suggestion, but not one day goes by when one doesn't hear of a new child sexual abuse case. Enough is enough! Let's start castrating them. And the sooner we start, the better.

45 agree | 50 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree

Report as inappropriate