The Mitchell County Sheriff’s Department has applied for a grant to aid its fight with crimes against children.
The grant, which is part of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force program, would allow the department to purchase forensic investigative tools and training for deputies to recover data from electronic devices to identify, arrest and prosecute those known to be guilty of committing internet crimes against a child.
Chief Deputy Josh Sparks said the bulk of such cases are child pornography cases. If selected for the grant funding, the department would purchase a new laptop and a device for dumping and containing cellphone data.
The grant would also cover the cost of training officers on the device, which works in conjunction with a computer.
All qualifying counties are eligible for funding of up to $75,000 over two years through the grant.
Sparks said the new equipment would be vital for the department.
When tips on crimes against children come in, they’re managed by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations before being assigned out to the appropriate agencies.
Almost every case that comes in these days involves a cellphone, Sparks said, making the data device especially crucial.
“Everything about someone is right there on a cellphone,” he said. “The vast majority of ICAC cases involved computers or phones— photos and videos sent back and forth.”
Sparks said ICAC cases have trended down, but it’s still a pervasive issue.
“It’s bigger than people think,” Sparks said.
Sparks said it’s an issue often observed in schools where kids don’t comprehend that exchanging explicit photos among fellow students is a distribution of child pornography.
“That’s what you get when every child in the county has a cellphone,” he added.
Sparks said he feels good about the department’s chances of landing the grant. He hopes this is a first step in becoming proactive rather than reactive when battling ICAC cases locally.
The device would mean the department doesn’t have to ask for help dumping cellphones. Sparks teased the potential of future sting operations to catch offenders as the local technology advances.
“This is part of being a working, professional sheriff’s office,” said Mitchell County Sheriff Donald Street. “This is not campaign promises. This is what we do.”