New Virginia strike force to prosecute cybercrime
Date: July 23, 2004Source: TimesDispatch.com
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Federal, state and local law-enforcement authorities are linking up in a new operation that will investigate and prosecute child pornography, fraud and other crimes perpetrated through use of computers and the Internet.
U.S. Attorney Paul J. McNulty and state Attorney General Jerry W. Kilgore yesterday announced the formation of the Virginia Cyber-Crime Strike Force.
Kilgore said more than half of the Internet traffic in the world runs through Virginia. That gives criminals in the state greater opportunities.
"Criminals can raid bank accounts without even leaving home," he said. "Purveyors and consumers of child pornography have alarmingly turned to computers to conduct their business. Worse yet, children can be preyed upon in our very own homes with a few clicks of a mouse."
Strike-force members will include four FBI agents, an assistant U.S. attorney with cybercrime investigation experience, two investigators and three attorneys from the attorney general's office, and one investigator from the Virginia State Police. They will work out of the Richmond FBI Field Office's computer laboratory.
Besides child pornography and Internet fraud, the force will concentrate on illegal "spamming," computer hacking and intrusion and intellectual property crimes.
Sheriff Michael Brown of Bedford County attended yesterday's announcement. Investigators from "Blue Ridge Thunder," a task force that works out of Brown's office on Internet crimes against children, will join in when appropriate on cases involving western Virginia.
"By pooling the resources of the various agencies involved," McNulty said, "we will be able to conduct proactive, online undercover investigations more efficiently and quickly than is possible by the members working alone."
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| 2007-01-16 10:55:14 - That is October 2006 [typo on the 2005] Myke |
| 2007-01-16 10:53:51 - Reported the MAJOR VISA card compromise... Myke |
| 2005-09-01 17:43:23 - Very nice blog. Anelia |
| 2004-08-01 00:26:58 - I was wondering why other federal agencies... Dirk Pitt |
| Total 4 comments |
