Yikes!

I have just finished reading Mark Bowden's Article in this Month's Vanity Fair, A Crime of Shadows. Mr. Bowden has given us a glimpse of the law enforcement insanity infecting a number of Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task forces in Pennsylvania. He focuses his attention to a Delaware County Case, which  resulted in a guilty plea.

The Federal government has bankrolled various ICAC Task Forces in Pennsylvania.  these task forces are swimming in funds for full time Law Enforcement Officers to act as decoys to entrap internet "predators". Additionally, the Department of Justice funds training and technical assistance that runs from detection to trial aspects of the case.

The sheer amount of time, energy, and creativity invested by these decoys in chat rooms is astounding.  Any Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Office interested in a four and a half day intensive training program at Fox Valley Techinical College  in undercover chat can sign up with tuition paid by the Feds.  They are trained to court the "mark" and introduce the subject of sex with underage individuals.

If the poor slob in the middle of his fantasy indicates any kind of interest, he's hooked and eventually booked.

The inmates have taken over the Asylum.