I have been telling you for years that peer to peer networks, like Limewire, are a dangerous place to log in. Now its official and successful prosecutions from these sites are published by law enforcement agencies like the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and other agencies. Check out http://www.coloradoicac.com/abouticac.html and learn of the large number of arrests for crimes like Enticement of a Child, C.R.S. 18-3-305, Internet Luring of a Child, C.R.S. 18-3-306 and Sexual Exploitation of a Child, 18-6-403.
Colorado law enforcement agencies in Arapahoe County, Denver County and Adams County are sharing strategies and experience with other police departments across the nation, as part of an organization set up by the FBI. Our federal government supervises the nationwide Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) project via the Department of Justice. Grants are provided to local police agencies along with training to detect and prosecute internet based sex crimes like Enticement of a Child and Internet Luring.
Peer to Peer networks like Limewire, are a favorite hunting place by police. Never mistake the apparent privacy of your home computer use for true privacy. Police search web sites for terms like Child Pornography, Child Porn, Child Nudes and related titles. Many sex addicts have graduated from adult porn and are trading hundreds of images of child porn through downloads off other computers connected to the peer to peer network. Music files were originally traded in this same way and now pornography crimes like Enticement of a Child and Internet Luring have invaded the networks.
Our criticism of these police agencies arises when they become overly aggressive in an effort to make arrests and increase their success statistics. Future funding and agency resources demand success and when desperate, police will engage in entrapment. Entrapment in Colorado is a high standard to meet, and is basically defined as conduct which causes a person to engage in illegal behavior they would not normally be involved with absent the police conduct. It is often a fine line toward entrapment when police engage in chats with suspects and lead them into sexual talk obscenity, and sending nude photos. Tracking photo download availability through these computer networks generally does not amount to entrapment.
Our lawyers understand how the Colorado Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and other police internet crimes programs work. If contacted by police for an internet based sex crime like Enticement or Internet Luring, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and call our lawyers at 303-731-0719. Together, we can protect your future.