Online child pornography fastest growing crime in America

24.02.11

SAN ANTONIO -- "Most people are not aware of this, but there is a crime in America that has been increasing 100 percent every year for 15 years," says Congressman Lamar Smith.

For 15 years, the distribution of on-line child pornography has been the fastest growing crime in America.

"You don't even want to think, graphically, what it involves except that every parent and even children have to be worried about this unexpected child pornography that they run across, or the fact that many children are accosted on-line and asked to participate in activities that should never be heard by a child's ear," says Smith.

He plans on putting a dent in that cyber crime this year. Smith says the solution is simple, but it's not easy.

The congressman added that as chairman of the Judiciary Committee he plans to introduce new legislation to combat the issue.

It involves working with Internet service providers to hold onto certain data longer, long enough for law enforcement officers to get a road map to a criminal's front door. Smith said that could mean just a few months longer in some cases.

"It will affect and I hope put out of business the sex predators who use the Internet," says the congressman.

Smith says they are in the process of talking to Internet service providers, but they are not the targets.

 "We want to go after the individuals who are actually putting child pornography," Smith explains.

Source: kens5.com