Watch this Video

You will be shocked when you see it zoom in on the Commonwealth of Virginia.

And keep in mind Virginia needs $32 million dollars a year to fund this program to catch internet predators.

The House budget gives 1 million

The Senate budget gives nothing.

Let's compromise... on the full $32 million.

Comments

[CarolineProgressive]

As the proud father of a smart and beautiful little girl, I say we can afford $32 million easily. Who's trying to underfund this?

[Not Larry Sabato]

Neither the Republican House or Democratic Senate has ponied up enough money for it yet.

[PWConservative]

I'm going to richmond thursday, I'll be sure to bring this up to the reps

[PM]

There's a horrible story about this online at Fairfax Times.

http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/news/2008/feb/26/child-porn-found-20000-computers-virginia/

In short, agents can track down computers doing file sharing, and they know there are 20,000 computers in VA with this stuff on them.

From the story:
***
Virginia Del. Brian Moran (D-Alexandria) reported last week that the Town of Herndon ranked number four in overall Virginia localities behind only Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Richmond in the number of computers known to possess child pornography statewide.

Herndon, which has a population of 23,000, is reported to have more than 1,000 known computers containing images of hardcore child pornography. ***

It would be a good thing for the Virginia blogosphere to get together on this and put pressure on the legislature.

[Sam]

Something democrats and republicans can all agree on. Something MUST be done.

[cargosquid]

I'm posting a copy of this at UCV. We need to spread the word on this horror.

[learn virginia]

This is a major issue.

I just checked out the info on the initiative - Alicia's Law.

http://www.brianmoran.com/agenda2008/alicias-law

[CarolineProgressive]

To be fair to Herndon, I do believe this is where "To Catch a Predator" set up shop a couple of times. I think if they went to any town, the numbers are going to be bumped up just because of shear volume.

[RichmondDem (Not J.C.)]

There should be broad, bipartisan support for this.

[dems4dems]

Can any of the Richmond insiders reading this forum enlighten us as to why this hasn't been funded?

[BillyBob]

Why not $320 Million? How about $32 Billion? Who comes up with these numbers? This is something that should be handled by local law enforcement. The Federal Government should be protecting our borders. The State Police has more than enough money to do this. They just need to prioritize like everyone else. Money doesn't grow on trees.

[NotAnneCulter]

Word has it that many Republicans, including Dave Albo, have advocated that all legislative commissions - Crime Commission, Joint Commission on Health Care, Commission on Youth, etc... - should come under the Division of Legislative Services. Hey, isn't Albo a member of the Crime Commission? Why would he suggest such a thing?

[Clairese Lippincott]

You have been watching TV again, haven't you? That is why some of the posters here have departed from rational thinking and joined the hysteria over..."predators." TV has told you that the predators are everywhere, and as always, you have stupidly believed what the TV said. You are so unbelievably gullible.

The fact is that although child molestation is a heinous sort of crime, it is extremely rare. Children are drowned in backyard pools with greater frequency that sexual assault.

I read on another site that 87% of the kids listed as "missing" are really just custody battle kids who are with the non-custodial parent. My own observations tend to confirm this figure.

Ask yourselves why government is so damned eager to hype the "predator" hysteria? They don't seem to care much about child health care, or other preventative measures. So why this particular issue?

Why all of this government generated hysteria?

I think that the root cause is that big brother government wants an excuse and our consent to spy on our computer traffic.

It is perfectly OK with the Bushies if a kid dies for lack of health care, if the kid lacks education or job opportunities, but suddenly there is this urgency to have a look-see on everyone's computers... 'cause they are huntin' predators...be vewy vewy quiet..shh! Who is running this sham, Bush or Elmer Fudd?

The sheeple in the USA are easy to herd. Hopefully we will see a broad re-awakening soon and the sheeple will see that we endured yet another McCarthy era, brought to us by the same red-scare baiters from the Republican Reich.

TV lies. Get that through your media dulled brains. In the general population, there are so few molestors, they are nearly non-existent. Child predators are nearly as mythical as the monsters under your bed and dragons in your closet. Get a grip. The Bushie government is playing your emotions like Satan plays his fiddle.

Tell the government that you will watch-out for your own children and they can stay out of our homes and out of our computer files. Turn off the damned TV and do your own thinking for a change.

[Henry Ryto]

Virginia Beach is first? That's a top ranking our City Council incumbents won't be trumpeting this year.

[JimBob]

I'd be interested to see Clairese Lippincott's sources for her contention that child molesters are "nearly non-existent."

There is much data backing up the contention that child sexual abuse is pervasive and underreported. The fact is that the gov't doesn't spend money on the protection of children because children don't vote.

Obfuscation of the issue only helps the perpetrators. Child predators should be punished to the fullest extent of the law and with the protection of their potential victims as the highest priority.

[AnonDem]

I'm pretty blown away by some of these statements. Look at the facts. I've seen the presentation by the members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. I've spoken to Alicia.

This is a very real, very serious problem. To chalk it up to cooked up numbers or legislators looking to put a feather in their cap is ignorant and dangerous.

Watch it again. Watch as the members of ICAC use search terms to look for child pornography. Thousands of items pop up. And these aren't harmless images of young children posing. They are brutally graphic images of children being raped.

How can anyone turn a blind eye to this?

This is very simple. These organizations need the resources to fight online child sexual predators. Del. Moran asked for 30M. He's getting 1M from the House of Delegates. The State Senate needs to at least match that much.

[RichmondDem (Not J.C.)]

Clairese Lippincott-

This is a state issue. "BushCo" has nothing to do with it. Why are you so concerned with a lame duck anyway? Did you take your medication recently?

[Not Huey Long]

Meanwhile the VA General Assembly debates whether to compel a woman who has a miscarriage to prove their "innocence." I would insert the phrase unbelievable, but with the likes of 'Cooch and Company' that's not exactly true.

Can we say "irony" here? I wonder how much offensive material might be found on certain computers in, say, Burke or Callaway, Virginia?

[Jon Wong]

There are plenty of predators ready to get your kids on the inter-net. Last year Del. Linghamfelter(R-Prince William) introduced a bill to make it illegal for predators to try and groom children on line by teaching them how to masturbate. Del Albo (R-Fairfax) complained in Committee that, "What about some 18 year old male calling his 14 year old girl friend and getting her to masturbate?" Albo and Griffiths then killed Linghamfelter's bill. NICE WORK DAVE ALBO and the rest of your gutless committee!!! Wonder why Virginia has a problem with child predators? Take a good look at our leaders in Richmond!!!!

[dems4dems]

Anon 8:07: There's a huge difference between "offensive material" which is protected by the First Amendment, and rightly so, and child pornography which fuels a market for criminal acts that often wreck a person for life.

[807]

dems4dems,

The point is that Ben and his girlfriend Joey seemed to find all this child pornography to be pretty funny not that long ago. Perhaps the lady doth protest too much?

[Not Alfred Dowe]

I wonder how many of those 1000 computers in Herndon are in the same household?

To borrow a phrase, there's lies, damned lies, and then there's statistics. Until you can actually LOOK at how statistics are calculated, don't let them bend and twist your brain every which way.

Look at the statistics on children who are molested. By hootin' and hollerin' about the guy wearing a hooded jacket and aviator frame sunglasses in the park leering at the kids (to use a frequent image in movies), we INCREASE the likelihood of children being molested by people who parents and children actually KNOW.

One question about child pornography enforcement: if someone under 18 is a "child" by that definition...is someone under 18 who views that material a "child predator"????????

[JimBob]

Alfred Dowe,

Much child porn is produced by friends and relatives of the child victims. The only person mentioning the "guy wearing a hooded jacket and aviator frame sunglasses" is YOU. Then you point out that by bringing this stereotype up, YOU distract from the real issue.

ICAC is focused on the enforcement of child porn where the victims are under the age of ten. Do you have a problem with trying to prevent the distibution of images of the rape of children under the age of ten for some reason? What would that reason be?

Maybe you should do some research before you post ignorant comments.

[Jim Bob]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/04/national/main3906767.shtml?source=mostpop_story

400,000 images. 20 children rescued. Perpetrator arrested in Virginia.

Why isn't this a big deal again?

[Actiftelt]

Hi guys! I am new here. I hope we will enjoy that time :) I love to use that and i hope you too! :)