"Today, I think is a strong showing of what the SBI can do and we'll have a lot of people be tried for child offenses," said Attorney General Roy Cooper. "And I think it sends a strong message that this will not be tolerated in North Carolina."
More arrests are possible as investigators analyze computer evidence. Five cases are from the Triangle.
Investigators said the suspects distributed child pornography through the Internet, using a peer-to-peer network that allows users to share files. In this case, authorities said the program was used to share pornographic pictures of children, many of whom may have had their pictures taken by the same people who sent out the images.
"They don't know each other on that network and that's why so much child porn is being shared because it's relatively anonymous," said SBI spokesman Kevin West.
The spectrum of people arrested in this statewide sweep is also very telling of the child pornography problem. They include everyone from a U.S. soldier currently serving in Iraq to the son of a doctor.
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
