An Assessment of the Training and Resources Dedicated Nationally to Investigation of the Production of Child Pornography

The purpose of this article is to address the gap in the literature investigating law enforcement agencies' reactions to the growing occurrence of cyber crime, specifically, production of child pornography cases. This study investigated the prevalence of online child pornography production investigations and arrests by law enforcement agencies in the USA, as well as the training and resources dedicated to investigating cyber crimes. Results revealed that specialized task forces and an increased number of sworn officers in a law enforcement agency increased the number of production of child pornography investigations and arrests in a jurisdiction. These findings indicate a need for more resources and training for law enforcement to better handle the growing presence of child pornography online, as well as other forms of cyber criminality. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]