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Richard Piatt reportingInvestigators who specialize in crimes against children brought the hammer down on Internet child pornography today.
Investigators literally used a sledgehammer to make their point. Their demonstration came just days after the U.S. Supreme Court addressed the issue of child pornography.
Some computers are so infected with child porn that a judge ordered them destroyed.
Today, using a bat and a sledgehammer, Utah's attorney general and members of his Crimes Against Children task force obeyed that order.
Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said, "Every one of the people who owned one of these computers is now serving time. And it's because of these officers. So maybe it is a little therapy."
As therapeutic as it is to smash the computers, the reality is that the hard drives are really what need to be destroyed, shredded in fact, and eventually they will be.
Deputy Attorney General Ken Wallentine said, "The court's order says that every memory device has to be destroyed, so they will be. They will be absolutely in the garbage."
This stunt is being used to re-emphasize an ongoing struggle against child porn. Investigators say adults involved with it on any level may fool themselves into believing they aren't hurting anyone. Investigators say that's just not true.
Task force chief Rhett McQuiston said, "It's the most sickening, disgusting piece of material I've ever witnessed in my whole life. And I pray the people in my squad are the only ones here who have to witness it."
Internet child pornography is a growing problem, and an ongoing legal challenge, too.
This latest swipe against child pornography in Utah comes just a few days after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld criminal penalties for promoting child pornography. The court also brushed aside concerns about "unintended consequences" related to mainstream movies, family pictures or classic literature.
The Utah task force says the high court ruling simply affirms the work it has been doing and encourages the task force to keep on doing it.
E-mail: rpiatt@ksl.com