February 7, 2008
News Story

Internet porn bill tabled by committee

RICHMOND, VA - Del. Brian Moran, D-Alexandria, called on the Bedford County Sheriff's Office for help Wednesday to support legislation that would fund a stronger defense against online sexual predators who target babies and children.

Bedford County Sheriff Mike Brown and Lt. Mike Harmony, commander of the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, delivered statistics and descriptions of online pornography that was beyond X-rated to an audience of a few legislators and reporters.

Moran's news conference didn't accomplish what he hoped, however. His bill to provide more than $10 million to police the Internet in Virginia was tabled in a House of Delegates Appropriations subcommittee. There isn't enough money in this tight budget year to fund new state programs, members of the Appropriations Public Safety Subcommittee said.

Without more funding, police will continue to catch only a tiny percentage of people who brutalize children and post the images online, Harmony said.

Moran, who is a candidate for governor in 2009, said he felt he accomplished "a victory" when committee members acknowledged the program is needed.

Virginia ranks 10th in the nation in online child pornography, and a breakdown of the statistics put Lynchburg 29th among Virginia cities. Police have identified 139 computers in the Lynchburg area that were set up to distribute child pornography online through file-sharing programs, Harmony said.

Norfolk and Virginia Beach had the most computers on the child-porn network with about 3,300. Statewide, nearly 20,000 computers participate in that network, Harmony said.

Statistics are just cold facts, however. The reason a handful of police officers spend hours tracing computers and viewing and listening to their contents are all too human, Harmony said.

"When you hear an 18-month-old child screaming and yelling because she's being raped, that's a sound you'll never forget," Harmony said.

Story Courtesy of The News Advance