Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Police Launce Investigation Into Electronic Child Abuse

Investigators of the Arkansas State Police Special Operations Unit have launched an electronic investigative mission primarily aimed at detecting and arresting adults who prey on children through the Internet.

The Special Operations Unit serves in a statewide support capacity for the Criminal Investigation Division of the State Police.

As a part of recent expansion of the unit, Special Operations team members will focus on a variety of cases, including child abuse and other offenses against minors, which require unique investigative techniques.

"We have recently purchased sophisticated computer equipment capable of tracing criminal computer messages," Colonel Tom Mars, director of the State Police, said.

Investigators have as recently as this month used this equipment in a variety of cases, including a case involving a juvenile accused of conveying a bomb threat against his school and a separate case involving sexual abuse of a minor.

"The Special Operations Unit will be aggressive in locating child abusers who use computers to commit crimes, and their work in this area will include undercover operations to locate those individuals who prey on children of this state," Mars continued. "With this new program, people who commit sexual crimes against children with computers may actually be sending their messages to undercover State Police investigators."

As in most criminal investigations involving the State Police, Special Operations investigators will be working closely with law enforcement agencies, both local and federal, to share information about individuals targeting minors on the Internet.