Breaking News and Photos

August 2002 --- Roanoke, Virginia.  
Operation Blue Ridge Thunder and the Safe Surfin' Foundation have been invited as special guests to the Southwestern Virginia Salute to the Family Conference, sponsored by The Family Foundation of VA on Monday, September 9 at 7:00 pm at the Hotel Roanoke. 

The Family Foundation of VA is a pro-family, non-profit organization, founded in 1985,  whose purpose is to
strengthen Virginia Families through education research, civic activism and sound public policy. The Family Foundation is the largest group of its kind in VA with a constituency outreach that extends to over 30,000 families. 

Special Guests and speakers will include Roanoke Mayor Ralph Smith, Dr. Jerry Falwell, House majority Leader Morgan Griffith, Senator Steve Newman and Keynote Speaker Bob Dornan, former 18-year U.S. Congressman from California, now Radio Talk Show Host. 

Presentation of the "Distinguished Community Leadership Award" will be made to Sheriff Mike Brown, the members of BRT and the staff of SSF.

Members of Blue Ridge Thunder and the Safe Surfin' Foundation will be available to speak with the over 200 guests expected to attend, and will distribute information for parents as well as Internet Safety tips for children during the conference. 

This conference is open to anyone who is committed to Family Issues in VA.  Please contact:  The Family Foundation of VA, Richmond, VA  804-343-0010 or visit their web site:  www.familyfoundation.org

February 2002 --- Bedford, Virginia.  (Photo by Edward Kassof)
On February 11, 2002, the Bedford County Sheriff's Office hosted a "National Tribute Service" for our fallen brothers and sisters from the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001.  The special ceremony was held at Bedford's National D-Day Memorial and was attended by more than 500 law enforcement officers from more than 130 agencies, including Australian and NYPD contingents.  All Bedford County radio cars carry the some of the names of the fallen.  Pictured above is Patrol Officer Anthony Gonzalez of NYPD's Traffic Control Division being recognized by Sheriff Mike Brown.  This photo was featured in the NYPD's Spring issue of "3100," their quarterly magazine for the some 45,000 men and women in blue in New York City.

June 2002 --- Bedford, Virginia.  
On June 11, 2002 Investigators from the Bedford County Sheriff's Office, Blue Ridge Thunder (Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force) arrested Mr. Shawn Thomas Combow.

A two week investigation culminated on Tuesday June 11, 2002, when Mr. Combow traveled approximately forty miles from his home in Vinton, Virginia to meet who he believed to be a thirteen year old female. Mr. Combow had arranged the meeting  to engage in sexual acts with which was known to be a 13 year old female. 

The 38 year old Combow was taken into custody by Investigators and charged with the following:

1. 18.2-374.3 -use of a communications system or other electronic means for the purpose of procuring or promoting the use of a minor for an activity in violation of 18.2-370.
2. 18.2-361 -attempt to carnally know a 13 year old female. 

Press release prepared by Captain Rick Wiita

March 2002 --- Bedford, Virginia. 
On March 13, 2002, Investigators from the Bedford County Sheriff's Office, Blue Ridge Thunder (Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force) arrested Mr. Steven Keith Herron, age 39.

Investigators responded to a complaint from Herron's wife that Herron stored Child pornography on his computer. A search warrant was obtained and executed at his residence, 105 Peverall Goodview, Va. with videos, books, magazines and a computer being seized.

Further investigation resulted in Mr. Herron being charged with twenty counts of possession of child pornography. 

Mr. Herron was found guilty in Bedford County Circuit Court.

Press release prepared by Captain Rick Wiita

May 2000 --- Bedford, Virginia.  The Bedford County Sheriff's Office unveiled a new badge.

CBS --- 48 HOURS:  Operation Blue Ridge Thunder was featured on a broadcast of CBS' popular newsmagazine, 48 Hours.  It aired Thursday, 30 March, 2000, on CBS, and continues to be re-broadcast periodically.  Check your local listings.

DATELINE--BEDFORD  4 November 1999.  Sheriff Mike Brown wins a second term in office handily, with 68 percent of the vote.  Read all about it.

DATELINE--ROANOKE  21 October 1999
The Roanoke Times officially endorsed the re-election of Sheriff Mike Brown, citing, among his many other accomplishments, Operation Blue Ridge Thunder.  Click here to read the text of this remarkable editorial endorsement.

DATELINE--WASHINGTON 30 September 1999

The  Operation Blue Ridge Thunder Task Force on Thursday, 30 September 1999 went to the Capitol to go to bat on behalf of children worldwide and law enforcement agencies on the local level.  We asked the U.S. Congress to increase federal appropriations to be disbursed at the LOCAL level to combat child pornographers, pedophiles, sexual predators and such.

We stressed the point that the battle must be fought at the LOCAL level.

The briefing was hosted by Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-6th-Va) who is the Co-Chair of the Congressional Internet Caucus.

The briefing was also attended by numerous senators, representatives, staffers and aides, as well as the media.  A final list has not yet been tallied, but among those present were:

Sen. Charles Robb (D-Va), and representatives Virgil H. Goode, Jr., (D-5th-Va.), Connie Morella (Chair, Technology Subcommittee, R-8th-Md. [Montgomery County]), Steven R. Rothman (D-9th-NJ), and many others.

Also present were Tom Lambert from the Commonwealth of Virginia Office of the Attorney General (Mark Earley). and numerous members of the media.  (At right, Sheriff Mike Brown and Bedford County Commonwealth's Attorney Randy C. Krantz leave the Capitol after the Congressional Briefing.  Below, Congressman Bob Goodlatte, left, congratulates Sheriff Mike Brown.)

The breadth and scope of the problem of child pornography was presented.  Also presented were the significant accomplishments achieved as a direct result of the federal grant money.  Both Sheriff Brown and Congressman Goodlatte stressed the need for more federal funding to establish and enhance initiatives on the LOCAL level, where the battle must be fought.

As we were getting back home from our 200-mile return trip, local media (Central Virginia) were giving headline coverage to our day on their 11 o'clock newscasts, highlighting the impact of the presentation and echoing the need for more federal funding placed at the local level.

The BRT presentation is forthright and direct.  And, at times, (and despite warnings prior to display), necessarily disgusting.  As usual, members of the audience uniformly turned their heads away, shed tears,
and/or left the room when they were shown a sampling of the graphic images sent to BRT in the course of U/C investigative operations.

Direct results were illustrated regarding arrests and convictions, (a 100% conviction rate) as well as our proactive education of students, parents and teachers, which was effected county-wide this year, along
with our successful influence on legislation, enacted this year, which toughened the penalties for exploiters of children across the board.  We showed Capitol Hill what can happen when a local agency smaller than 68 sworn officers gets hold of a $200,000 grant. (The BCSO/BRT was--far and away--the SMALLEST of the 10 agencies awarded the USDOJ/OJJDP money.)

Operation Blue Ridge Thunder grew out of Sheriff Mike Brown's response to one concerned Bedford County, Virginia mother's call... her 14-year-old daughter was solicited to appear in a pornographic movie
after her name, photo and phone number had been acquired via the Internet by a Florida child pornographer.

Although BRT began officially in 1998, here is one local agency pioneering the ever-changing dynamic of the Internet... and how those who choose to misuse it can reach into any home in America--affecting our children.
 

DATELINE -- Bedford, VA and Washington, D.C., 16 August, 1999.  The BRT Task Force has been invited to Capitol Hill to brief the Congressional Internet Caucus in September 1999.  See the Media Section for the latest.

 
 

DATELINE -- Richmond, 2 August, 1999.  The Operation Blue Ridge Thunder Task Force visited Richmond at the invitation of Commonwealth of Virginia Attorney General Mark Earley, for a full briefing on BRT.  Sheriff Mike Brown and BRT Task Force members Sgt. Sergio Kopelev, Rev. Travis Witt and Don Garlock, Jr. met with the AG and his staff and briefed them on BRT activities.  Pictured here, Sheriff Mike Brown (left) presents the AG with an official BRT shirt.  The Office of the A.G. and Operation Blue Ridge Thunder have teamed up to protect children online and apprehend those who exploit children.  See the Media Section for more...
 
 
 

..
DATELINE -- The Great White North, 11 August 1999.  The BRT Website has been selected to proudly display the prestigious EduNet Choice Award, bestowed from Canada "for providing and maintaining valuable educational content."
 

DATELINE -- Bedford and Richmond, 21 July, 1999.  The Bedford County Sheriff's Office became the 9th sheriff's office (out of 124) and the 18th law enforcement agency in the Commonwealth of Virginia to become fully accredited since 1996.  The accreditation process is a rigorous examination of professional standards in every aspect of law enforcement.  Overseeing the accreditation process is the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission. The Virginia Sheriff's Association and the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police make up the VLEPSC.  Executive board members consisting of active Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police established 210 professional standards and administer the accreditation process by which Virginia agencies can be systematically measured, evaluated, and updated. The program is independent of state government, however, the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services manages day-to-day operations for the Commission.  CONGRATULATIONS to the men and women of the BCSO for their commitment to excellence and for making their department one of the finest law enforcement agencies in America!

More on the BCSO accreditation in the Media Coverage section.
 

DATELINE -- EARTH, June 1999.  The officers and directors of the International Police Association (IPA) US Section voted unanimously to endorse Operation Blue Ridge Thunder.  Hence, their Summer 1999 issue of the quarterly National Reporter carried a cover story on BRT.  Subsequently, the IPA-Ireland and the IPA-Austria are reprinting the article.
 

DATELINE -- RICHMOND, Spring 1999. The Virginia General Assembly passed legislation this year stiffening the penalties for the exploitation of children on the Internet.  Operation Blue Ridge Thunder was successful in persuading several members of the House of Delegates -- particularly Del. Kathy J. Byron -- to sponsor legislation toughening the punishment for those who would exploit children.

The legislation is summarized as follows:

§§ 18.2-374.1:1, 18.2.374.2, 18.2-374.3 and 19.2-298.1 amended.  Child pornography and indecent liberties with children.  Increases the penalty for first offense possession of child pornography from a Class 3 misdemeanor to a Class 1 misdemeanor.  The bill punishes the use of a communication system for accomplishment of certain sex crimes with children and production and possession of child pornography as a Class 5 felony.  The bill also expands the crimes for which sex offender registration is required to include making and possessing child pornography.  HB 1760; CH.659.

§ 18.2-391 amended.  Unlawful e-mail.  Creates a Class 1 misdemeanor to punish the person who sends for commercial purposes any electronic file or message containing sexually explicit material which is harmful to juveniles and may be examined by a juvenile.  HB 748; CH. 936.

The State of Minnesota also passed similar legislation in 1999.

 

DATELINE:  Washington, 25 May 1999 -- U.S. Senator Charles S. Robb (D-Va.) has designated the Operation Blue Ridge Thunder web site as his "Site of the Month."  It is truly an honor to receive this distinction from Senator Chuck Robb, who is very technologically-minded and highly involved in Internet-related issues facing America today.
 
 

Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va., 6th District) listens intently as Sheriff Mike Brown conducts a press conference at In Mind, Inc. corporate headquarters in Forest, Virginia early in April.  Congressman Goodlatte had just received a private Blue Ridge Thunder operations briefing along with representatives from Virginia Attorney General Mark Earley's office.  Congressman Goodlatte is co-chair of the Congressional Internet Caucus and chair of the House Republican High Tech Working Group and, as such, has asked Sheriff Brown to come to Capitol Hill to brief Congress on Operation Blue Ridge Thunder.  Visit Bob Goodlatte's Official Congressional site to read his column, The Power of the Internet.
 
 
 

Sheriff Mike Brown pauses with Ollie North at Radio America Headquarters in Washington, D.C.  Sheriff Brown was invited to discuss Blue Ridge Thunder on a recent broadcast of North's nationally-syndicated show, "Common Sense Radio."
 
 
 

While at Radio America Headquarters in Washington, D.C., Sheriff Mike also visited Blanquita Cullum to discuss Blue Ridge Thunder on a recent broadcast of her nationally-syndicated show, "BQ View."
 
 

<BACK

    Should parents expect taxpayer-funded schools and libraries to protect children from Internet obscenity and pornography? Rep. Bob Franks of New Jersey and Sen. John McCain of Arizona think so, which is why the two Republicans have introduced the Children's Internet Protection Act. Under the Franks-McCain bill, public schools and libraries receiving federal tax dollars for Internet access will be required to install and use software filters on their computers to screen out smut and "chat rooms," where pedophiles can build relationships with children. Vice President Al Gore's "information-superhighway" initiative to bring the Internet to every school and library in the United States contains no such mandate.

    Advocates of Franks-McCain note that on Feb. 17 a convicted child molester who used Los Angeles Central Library computers to collect and distribute kiddie porn was arrested after plotting a sexual liaison with six children -- one age 3. "This is not an isolated incident," according to the Family Research Council. "Pornographers are exploiting our children's innocence every day, and this problem stands to get worse as the Internet continues its rapid growth," says council spokeswoman Jan LaRue.

    Citing free-speech issues, the American Library Association and the American Civil Liberties Union oppose efforts to block children's access to pornography. Even so, children's antiporn advocates feel legal precedent is on their side. They cite the Supreme Court's 1968 Ginsburg vs. New York decision.