From CNN, 27 charged in child porn sting. I read the article, and of course the story was all over the evening TV news. I’ll spare everyone the totally disgusting details, which the press seems to delight in presenting in their faux-somber voices. Suffice it to say, if the charges are true, that the perpetrators deserve what’s coming to them. I’ve heard that even in the Pen1, there’s a certain code, and swift justice is often dispensed toward such sickos as these.
This isn’t the point of this post, however. In watching the TV coverage, and reading the article, I was amazed at how often the Justice Department mentioned the internet technologies, including peer-to-peer filesharing and streaming video, which were used in the perpetration of the crimes the government alleges.
So now the point: will it be the DOJ, or Congress, who will attempt to introduce some type of draconian, unworkable scheme to prevent or detect such uses of the internet? My money is on Congress, it’s an election year, and some type of knee-jerk-off response would sell well back home. If they want to go for the daily double, Congress will ask DOJ what DOJ needs to be effective in fighting this type of crime. The answer to this last part is clearly nothing; using the means and methods they currently possess, Justice was able to crack the case, and arrest 27 people. I doubt the powers that be will see that in such clear light. Be warned. You read it here first.
-k-
1 – Short for Penitentiary, the Big House, etc.
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