Officer's job should be responsibility of all parents
The Virginian-Pilot
By Kerry Dougherty
October 19, 2006
You couldn't pay me enough to do Lisa's job. She isn't paid enough, either - that's me talking, not her - but this Virginia Beach police officer and mother of two isn't complaining.
She's part of an undercover unit - hence, only her first name here - that poses as preteen girls or boys on the Internet. They don't behave provocatively. They simply log on.
Once Lisa begins strolling through cyberspace, she says it doesn't take long for perverts to pop up.
They want her picture. They ask if she's a virgin. They talk dirty.
You can almost hear these freaks panting.
Sometimes they want to meet her in person, which is a big mistake.
Ask James Irvin Taylor, a 26-year-old Richmond man who came sniffing around this "12-year-old with a badge" in August 2004.
You wouldn't believe what he said to her. Or that he even suggested she find a way to give her mother the slip.
When she agreed, Taylor said he'd meet her in about 90 minutes.
Police say the man was nothing if not punctual. Taylor ended his evening in handcuffs. He pleaded guilty to one count of use of an electronic device to solicit a minor for immoral purposes and one count of attempted indecent liberties. He received 15 years for these crimes. And 40 more - with 20 to serve - in Richmond for sex crimes he committed there.
If you have a strong stomach, you ought to see the transcripts of the computer conversation Taylor had with this "kid."
I read them Tuesday at Cox High School when Lisa flashed the dialogue on a screen for members of the Attorney General's Youth Internet Safety Task Force.
The library was full of prosecutors, politicians, pastors and parents. Representatives from companies such as MySpace and Microsoft were there. Several audience members - besides me - looked like they wanted to gag.
Think of all the creeps out there, about how easy the Internet makes it for them to find unsuspecting kids.
Every city should have undercover officers like Lisa.
According to a story in The Virginian-Pilot, Suffolk police nabbed a middle school teacher when he tried to arrange a meeting with a 14-year-old girl - er, detective - he met on the Net.
On Monday, Jerome Keith Crawford pleaded guilty to attempted indecent liberties with a minor and to using a computer for obscene material. Lovely. Mark your calendars, he's due in court in December.
But back to the task force. I don't much like government task forces. They tend to be time-wasters. Lots of pastries, little action.
Bob McDonnell says this one is different. Tuesday was its third meeting. One more to go.
After that, McDonnell will put together a package of proposals for the General Assembly.
He might push some legislation, but McDonnell says most of his initiatives probably will aim to educate parents, the people who buy the computer and pay the Internet bills.
After all, you can't legislate parental involvement.
And if parents don't know what their kids are doing on the computer, they ought to find out. They could be in for a sickening surprise.
Just ask Lisa.
Reach Kerry at (757) 446-2306 or kerry.dougherty@cox.net.