Trolling for Predators: More and More Law Enforcement Officers Are Actively Working the Internet To Track, Apprehend, and Prosecute Pedophiles

• NCJ Number: 212627
• Journal: Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 29 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2005 Pages: 32-34,36,38,40
• Author(s): Kelly Kyrik
• Date Published: October 2005
• Length: 6 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Based upon interviews with officers who patrol the Internet to identify, investigate, and arrest pedophile predators who use the Internet to find and pursue victims, this article discusses the prevalence of this type of criminal method, investigative techniques, the rate of successful prosecutions, and legal issues.

Abstract

A study of the sexual solicitations of children online found that of the estimated 35 million children now surfing the Internet, 1 in 5 has received an online sexual solicitation in the last year. One in thirty-three solicitations was considered aggressive, in that the predator called on the phone, sent money or gifts, or suggested a face-to-face meeting. A study soon to be released found that 9 out of 10 Internet "travelers" (predators who travel cross-country to meet and have sex with a minor after chatting with them online) admitted that they had sexually molested children before their arrest. Even those teens who did not meet face-to-face with the predators were often emotionally distressed about their encounters. In an effort to identify and arrest these predators, law enforcement officers in a variety of jurisdictions are entering chat rooms frequented by teens to pose as teens and engage predators in incriminating chats and face-to-face meetings that end in their arrests. In addition to the online conversations with officers and the appearance at "sting" sites that the predator has arranged for a sexual encounter, evidence is collected from the suspect's computer. Convictions rates are unusually high for these cases, and legal challenges related to the "entrapment" defense have not been successful in the courts. Supplementary instruction addresses how to start a program to investigate Internet crimes against children, and recommendations pertain to training investigators in how to converse with predators in chat rooms.