‘Over 600% more’: Authorities crack down on explosion of child pornography, abuse in Utah

UTAH (ABC4) – Authorities have cracked down on a disturbing upward pattern of “little one pornography and unlawful contact with minors” all through the state of Utah.

The Utah Lawyer Normal’s Workplace has been working along with the Web Crimes In opposition to Kids Job Power Program (ICAC) to handle the troubling concern.

“To answer the rising variety of circumstances involving little one pornography and unlawful contact with minors, the Utah Lawyer Normal’s Workplace led a statewide effort to handle this rising downside,” authorities say.

The crackdown concerned 27 regulation enforcement companies all through the state of Utah. Sting operations over the course of 1 week noticed officers intercepting a mess of messages and underage illicit pictures of minors.

Authorities say because the starting of 2020, the variety of circumstances involving sexual contact with minors has “exploded by 600% and it retains getting worse.”

Up to now, a mess of Utahns have been implicated together with 12 arrests, 8 search warrants served and 13 pending circumstances.

“Not solely is there a continuing rise in circumstances, however lots of the encounters we’re intercepting are additionally bolder and extra aggressive than ever,” stated ICAC Commander Alan White. “We’re additionally seeing youthful victims — even toddlers, extra typically. It’s disturbing and overwhelming, to say the least.”