Bedford gets $200,000 to fight Internet child porn

by Terry Scanlon 

Bedford County's enterprising crackdown on child pornography on the Internet has won not only praise, but has also earned a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice. 

"It's very unusual for a department that small to be as aggressive as they are and do what they've done," Ron Laney, an official with the Justice Department, said. 

Bedford County Sheriff Michael J. Brown established Operation Blue Ridge Thunder earlier this year to crack down on the distribution of child pornography on the Internet, as well as other computer crimes. 

So far eight people throughout the country have been arrested for sending pictures of children engaging in sex to a computer in Bedford County. 

"They are one of the more successful (law enforcement agencies)," Laney said, referring to Bedford's fight against pornography on the Internet.  "As a matter of fact, they're one of the better ones." 

The grant is part of the $2.4 million "Internet Crimes Against Children" program.  Nine other law enforcement agencies also received grants, but Bedford was the only one in Virginia and is the smallest agency involved, Laney said.  Most of the other grant recipients were police departments from large urban areas such as Dallas, Sacramento, Calif. and Broward County, Fla., Laney said. 

"Yes, we may be a small agency, but we're a quality agency and we're getting better," Brown said. 

Brown, in conjunction with Bedford County Commonwealth's Attorney Randy C. Krantz and United States Attorney Robert Crouch, has scheduled a press conference for today to discuss the grant.  Brown said the grant money will allow the county to pursue the roughly 60 cases on hold because of limited resources. 

"I'm going to put out a challenge to the other 10," Brown said, "lead, follow or get the hell out of the way." 

"We may not win the war, but we're going to win some battles." 

The money will also go toward educating parents and children about the dangers on the Internet, as well as for training other law enforcement agencies in Virginia about how to police the Net, Brown said.  Not only are the pictures vulgar, immoral and illegal, he said, but the child pornography is used by pedophiles to lure children into actually engaging in sex. 

Brown credits his agency's success to its progressive attitude and the work of the department's cybercop, Deputy Sergio D. Kopelev. 

"He's been in the forefront from Day One," Brown said.  "I saw the need and he put in the effort." 

Among the eight arrests Kopelev has been involved with are that of a day care operator in Massachusetts, a border patrol officer in California and a police officer in South Carolina. 

Locally, Kopelev's work led to the arrest and conviction of Thomas Brooks Jenkins.  Jenkins, of Blacksburg, was arrested in March after sending pictures of boys involved in sex with adult men over the internet.  Jenkins then gave Kopelev, who was working undercover, his picture, home telephone number and address.  When the officer arrived at Jenkins' home, Jenkins gave him more pictures because he believed Kopelev could hook him up with a young boy. 

Kopelev's work first gained attention last December when he arrested a Vinton man, Kirby Adams, for selling marijuana over the Internet.  Adams, who was convicted of distribution and possession of marijuana, was sentenced to three months in jail plus another 21 months suspended.