chloe
07-15-2009, 08:31 AM
July 15th, 2009 @ 6:48am
By Ben Winslow
SALT LAKE CITY -- Cases of internet sex predators and child pornography have skyrocketed in Utah to record-breaking levels, authorities said.
The Utah Attorney General's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force said Tuesday that its caseload has risen 40 percent in the first six months of the year.
"They've shockingly increased this year," said Ken Wallentine, the Utah Attorney General's Chief of Law Enforcement. "Last year at this time, we had made 32 arrests. Thus far this year in that same six month period, we're at 76 arrests."
"Last year at this time, we had made 32 arrests. This year ... we're at 76 arrests." - Ken Wallentine, Utah AG's officeWallentine admitted that they don't know exactly why the caseload has risen dramatically.
"We're scratching our heads. We're wondering why we're seeing in Utah this incredible increase in child predation and child pornography," he said in an interview with KSL NewsRadio.
Wallentine said ICAC agents work constantly to dig deeper in cases, which often result in child abuse investigations or other crimes. Utah is also one of the top spots in the nation in paid subscriptions to pornographic websites, he said.
"We wonder if there's a connection there," Wallentine said. "We wonder if there's just an undercurrent here that we're getting more effective at tapping."
An exact reason remains elusive; something Wallentine said would have to best be left to the social scientists to determine. Like other state agencies, the ICAC task force has seen its budget cut, prompting it to do more with less. ICAC has benefitted from recent private donations from foundations to keep its operations going.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=7167792
:eek:
By Ben Winslow
SALT LAKE CITY -- Cases of internet sex predators and child pornography have skyrocketed in Utah to record-breaking levels, authorities said.
The Utah Attorney General's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force said Tuesday that its caseload has risen 40 percent in the first six months of the year.
"They've shockingly increased this year," said Ken Wallentine, the Utah Attorney General's Chief of Law Enforcement. "Last year at this time, we had made 32 arrests. Thus far this year in that same six month period, we're at 76 arrests."
"Last year at this time, we had made 32 arrests. This year ... we're at 76 arrests." - Ken Wallentine, Utah AG's officeWallentine admitted that they don't know exactly why the caseload has risen dramatically.
"We're scratching our heads. We're wondering why we're seeing in Utah this incredible increase in child predation and child pornography," he said in an interview with KSL NewsRadio.
Wallentine said ICAC agents work constantly to dig deeper in cases, which often result in child abuse investigations or other crimes. Utah is also one of the top spots in the nation in paid subscriptions to pornographic websites, he said.
"We wonder if there's a connection there," Wallentine said. "We wonder if there's just an undercurrent here that we're getting more effective at tapping."
An exact reason remains elusive; something Wallentine said would have to best be left to the social scientists to determine. Like other state agencies, the ICAC task force has seen its budget cut, prompting it to do more with less. ICAC has benefitted from recent private donations from foundations to keep its operations going.
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=7167792
:eek: