Internet sexual predators not in prison

Remember a few weeks ago when many people in the community were outraged that former Cabell County school Superintendent Dick Jefferson received home confinement rather than prison time for using the Internet to arrange a meeting with who he thought was a 14-year-old girl?

As it turns out, if Jefferson had been put in prison, he would have been the only person in a West Virginia prison for using the Internet for finding underage girls to have sex with.

A story in today’s The Herald-Dispatch by reporter Curtis Johnson says no one -- not one person -- is serving prison time within its custody for violating the state’s 2004 Computer Crime and Abuse Act.

Quoting from Curtis’ story:

“That law was passed with the idea of empowering the state's criminal justice system with the backing it needed to go after Internet predators, who often find their way into chat rooms where they sexually solicit children. ...

“The reasons vary as to why more predators are not serving prison sentences in West Virginia.

“The West Virginia State Police, Huntington Police and Cabell County Sheriff's Department are among the law enforcement agencies blaming a lack of manpower.

“But when one police department in northern West Virginia took that initiative and allocated the needed resources, its cases resulted in one man getting 60 days in jail and another receiving home confinement.”

Another reason given is the lack of technology and training to do this type of sting.

So after all the debate and everyone agreeing we need tougher penalties to deter this sort of crime, no one has gone to prison.