More than 10 million children now use the Internet

Bedford sheriff takes lead against online child abusers

By Bob Goodlatte

    AS CO-CHAIR of the Congressional Internet Caucus, I would like to commend Bedford County Sheriff Mike Brown for his efforts to crack down on child exploitation on the Internet.

Millions of people are now going online to exchange electronic mail, surf the World Wide Web and participate in chat groups.  Of those currently online, 10.5 million are kids.

Internet access offers children a variety of resources for research and communication.  However, while the Internet can serve as an important tool in children's education and development, we must face the reality that it can also be used for harm.

The Internet offers predators unparalleled access to our children and can provide an avenue for abuse and exploitation.

The Internet has become an attractive arena for child sex abusers, child pornographers and pedophiles because it is easy for them to share images and information about children and to make contact with children.  These predators are also major contributors to children's chat rooms, frequently pretending to be children themselves.

Fortunately, law enforcement is waking up to the Internet's use for distributing child pornography and other computer-related crimes.  The Bedford County Sheriff's Office is one of the first.

Last year, the office unveiled Operation Blue Ridge Thunder, the code name for its undercover cyberspace patrol organized in a effort to put people in jail who target our children on the Internet.

Sheriff Brown has successfully acquired federal grants to develop and expand the effort, receiving nation recognition and giving Bedford County a reputation of zero tolerance when it comes to child predators.  Pedophiles who target children on the Internet know that when they attempt to contact a child, they may instead be reaching out to a Bedford County sheriff's deputy.  Brown has succeeded in creating a "buffer zone" around Bedford County, ensuring that online predators stay away from our kids.

I have enjoyed working with Operation Blue Ridge Thunder to promote awareness about the Internet's dangers, and I commend him for his role in improving Internet safety for our children.

Brown has set a fine example for law-enforcement departments nationwide in this important new area of crime-fighting, and has provided a great service to Bedford County by making the community safer for our kids.

Our country needs more communities and law-enforcement officers to follow Brown's lead in fighting child predators online.