Quote:Allegheny County investigators dealing with backlog in child porn tips

Allegheny County investigators dealing with backlog in child porn tips Investigators are seeing a surge in tips regarding child porn and exploitation locally, according to Allegheny County police.

By Mike Holden, WPXI-TVMay 12, 2022 at 5:10 pm EDT
PITTSBURGH — Investigators are seeing a surge in child porn and exploitation tips in Allegheny County, according to Allegheny County Police.
They’re working through the challenges that have seemingly been amplified over the last two years during the pandemic due to so many people being at home and using the internet.
As of today there’s a backlog of more than 270 cases.
Allegheny County Police Superintendent Christopher Kearns says for the last year the department has had two detectives assigned to the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force.
“Is it a broken system? I don’t believe it’s a broken system. Like I said — with the explosion of tips we’re doing the best we can with the numbers,” said Christopher Kearns, Allegheny County Police Superintendent.
The detectives work specifically on handling tips regarding Internet Crimes Against Children like those in Wednesday’s case of Keystone Oaks music teacher Thomas Duxbury.
Allegheny County Police started on the case in March 2022 after the tip worked its way through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children when they got a cybertip last July.
It took until April 22 to identify Duxbury and remove him from the school.
It brought major concern to Angi Dudas, a Keystone Oaks Parent.
“You worry he’s in possession of that. What else could he have done?”
In 2018 Allegheny County only had one detective assigned to the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force and handled more than 160 tips.
In 2019 the tips climbed to more than 300.
And in 2020 with so many people at home and using the internet—they hit a record high.
“In 2020 he was up to 372 tips. And that’s when we started to see a backlog in the cue,” said Kearns.
By March 2021 they added a second detective.
Kearns says they currently get support from the FBI to assist in cases, along with other detectives handling child line cases.
He stresses that if there is an immediate threat to a child, they take action.
“They’ve worked 186 cases so far this year and there’s 272 currently in the cue. Does that bring concern to you? Of course it brings concern, but as I said any case in which they think of a child is in immediate danger the detectives are notified immediately,” said Kearns.
Kearns also pointed out that in many of these cases they have to work through IP addresses, fake names and social media identities to get to the real person, and they can’t just immediately arrest suspects because they need search warrants and evidence to prosecute them.
He stresses the victim’s safety is the No. 1 priority.
He also pointed out that having additional detectives would help, but he is appreciative of support from the County Executive and other county leaders.
“I don’t know if I can say it’s a lack of resources but ya know we just don’t have enough people to put a high priority, a high number of people on every single instance of what we investigate,” said Kearns.

Quote:By Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content DeskMay 17, 2022 at 8:32 pm EDT
TAMPA, Fla. — A Florida man has been sentenced to life in prison for traveling to Vietnam to sexually abuse minors he met online, according to officials.
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The U.S. Department of Justice says Christopher Edwin Day, 52, traveled two different times in 2015 and 2016 to Vietnam from Florida to have sexual encounters with minor Vietnamese boys. Court records say he flew back and forth disguising himself as an English teacher.
Some of the boys, according to the DOJ, were lured with promises of money and gifts. Others introduced him as their English teacher.
The Tampa Bay News says Homeland Security investigated the case in Tampa and in Ho Chi Minh City. It was part of Project Safe Childhood, which was an effort to find child sex abuse started in 2006 by the DOJ.
“The laws of the United States will still catch up to child predators who even travel to foreign countries to sexually abuse minor children. Thanks to HSI’s international investigative authorities and strong partnerships, both at HSI Tampa and HSI Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, this sexual predator was stopped from harming more children and his victim will have the justice they deserve,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge John Dumas, according to a news release from said HSI Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge John Dumas.
Day pleaded guilty to two counts of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and two counts of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor into illegal sexual activity, according to the DOJ. Day has been sentenced to life in prison.