Policing Possession of Child Pornography Online: Investigating the Training and Resources Dedicated to the Investigation of Cyber Crime

• Published in: International journal of police science & management Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 516 - 525
• Main Authors: Marcum, Catherine D., Higgins, George E., Freiburger, Tina L., Ricketts, Melissa L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01-12-2010
• Subjects: cyber crime; child pornography; policing; task forces
• ISSN: 1461-3557; 1478-1603
• DOI: 10.1350/ijps.2010.12.4.201

The internet is not a single network, limited to one specific type of information or restrictive of the types of users who can access its information. Conversely, the internet is an intercontinental information highway that has enabled people of all ages to communicate with family and friends with lightning-fast speed, share and collect information, and connect with people and companies thousands of miles from their computer (Roberts, Foehr, Rideout, & Brodie, 1999; Rosenbaum et al., 2000; Smith & Rupp, 2002). However, this growth of information technology has introduced a new form of criminality to the criminal justice system: cyber crime (Denning, 1998). The purpose of this research study is to investigate the prevalence of cyber criminality, specifically possession of child pornography, in law enforcement jurisdictions and the types of training which local and State law enforcement agencies currently offer to effectively combat these technological crimes.