Internet fuels child porn industry says U.S. Attorney at Abbeville Rotary meeting

A U.S. Attorney says child pornography is a growing problem fueled by the Internet and is encouraging parents to talk to their children about what they are viewing online.
Stephanie Finley, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, said Wednesday during an Abbeville Rotary Meeting, the biggest increase in crime in the Western District has been child pornography and child exploitation. The reason for the increase in child porn is because of the Internet.
She told the Rotarians that the Western District, which consist of all of Louisiana except the Baton Rouge and New Orleans area, has a high child pornography problem compared to other districts of its size.
Finley made reference to a recent child porn bust in the Western District called “Operation Child Watch.” Investigators made 17 arrests in four different cities from Alexandria, Nachitoches, Lake Charles and Lafayette.
Detectives seized more than 30 computers, along with numerous CDs and DVDs. It showed sexual abuse involving children as young as three years old.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, “…child pornography images are readily available through virtually every Internet technology including websites, email, instant messaging/ICQ, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), newsgroups, bulletin boards, peer-to-peer networks, and social networking sites. Child pornography offenders can connect on Internet networks and forums to share their interests, desires, and experiences abusing children in addition to selling, sharing, and trading images.”
Predators will try to meet children in person by first talking to them online, pretending to be a lot younger, in hopes of setting up a private meeting with the child. There have been times where the meetings have led to rapes and kidnapping.
Finley said her goal is to educate parents by paying attention to who their children are talking to.
“I try to share with parents to know what your children or grandchildren are looking at on the Internet.”
While the computer, coupled with the Internet, have helped fuel the increase in pornography in America, the cell phone is also adding to the problem.
More people are being charged with pornography crimes because of pictures they have either received on their cell phone or taken and sent to young adults, who are under the age of 18.
“The Internet is a wonderful thing. It is a gateway to the world,” she said. “But it can also be harmful if they are not aware of what is out there and what they are doing on the Internet.”