There have been at least three well-publicized arrests in child pornography related cases recently in our area. The FBI says while the cases are not connected, it is part of an ongoing trend.
Late this week we learned of the arrest of a Hilton Middle School teacher allegedly trying to entice a minor into engaging in sexual activity. Just days before that, an employee of the 911 center in Rochester was arrested on similar charges, and a man who worked as a babysitter is facing child pornography charges.
The FBI Special Agent in Charge for this region, Brian Boetig, says that these cases just demonstrate that crimes involving child porn involve all types of people and backgrounds.
"This is not the man wearing the trench coat, lurking in the dark corner of the alley or in some park; it really cuts across every socio-economic class."
Boetig says these cases are not connected specifically, but he says authorities do aggressively go after people who have access to potential victims.
"It's really random, how the people are chosen, when you start these investigations you don't know who they are, but when we find out that somebody is in a position of trust and they have access to potential victims, we really try to focus on those cases," Boetig told WXXI News.
Boetig says the internet and related technology have provided the accessibility and what people perceive as anonymity when seeking to commit these kinds of crimes.
"People who may have some time of behavior that would be considered deviant , they can get online and find other people just like them it tends to validate their behavior and almost gives them more encouragement to continue on with what they're doing."
Boetig says that's why it's important for parents to always have good communication with their kids.
