Skip to main content

You make this possible. Support our independent, nonprofit newsroom today.

Give Now

Child Porn In Washington State: 'No Fear In That Community'

caption: The child protection unit in West Midlands, in the U.K.
Enlarge Icon
The child protection unit in West Midlands, in the U.K.
Flickr Photo/West Midlands Police (CC-BY-NC-ND)

Ross Reynolds talks with Seattle Police Department Captain Mike Edwards about a legislative proposal to increase funding for investigating and prosecuting child pornography cases. Edwards leads the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

From the interview:

Captain Edwards: When you’re looking at 17,000, and we are only able to aggressively investigate 2 percent – no, there is no fear in that community.

There is a very strange psyche in that community. Many of them don’t understand that they’re doing anything wrong. But more importantly, they know that we are very overwhelmed currently, and that we don’t have the resources available.

Ross: Any cases that got to you?

Edwards: Every single one. That biggest moment that impacts you is when you’ve seen that video, or you’ve seen that digital image, and then you go and now there’s the child. When all of a sudden that reality hits, that is impactful.

You never forget the images. Once you’ve seen one, it’s with you forever. But now when you’ve seen that child, all of a sudden reality goes to a whole different level.

Why you can trust KUOW