Internet Child Sex Abuse Stings

Over the past few days I've been running into many stories about adults soliciting sex from children over the internet. For example, Brian Doyle, the deputy press secretary for the Department of Homeland Security is facing charges relating to such inappropriate contact online. This is a frightening and dangerous practice that poses many problems for the zealous child advocate.

There is a conundrum because the internet can be such a fantastic place for learning. It can open new worlds and allow children to see new places, new animals and new perspectives all from the safety of their own home. Unfortunately, that freedom also allows in a lot from the outside world.

Brian Doyle was arrested after having "chatted" inappropriately (and apparently very graphically) with someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl who was actually a detective. There seems to be an increasing trend in such "sting" operations. I think it is a fantastic and easy way for these perpetrators to be caught.

I worry though because these operations seem to toe the line of legality. While I wish we could put away each and every single adult who is inappropriate with a child behind bars, I want to ensure that the methodology for catching them does not give them a get out of jail free card when the prosecutions cannot stand because of entrapment.

Posing as a child online, though, does not seem to be an invitation for perverts. A detective should be able to log into chat rooms and chat all day as a "young teen" without one illicit invitation. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Hopefully the detectives can continue this practice unimpeded by the laws and put away the many adults abusing children over the web (and sometimes consequently in person).