Child pornography found on the Department of Defense’s network and Pentagon-issued computers
Child pornography in places of high power: The government’s actions against child pornography trafficking on the Department of Defence’s network.
In 2019, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill that cracks down on the use of the Department of Defense internet network for trafficking child pornography, CNN reports.
‘The End National Defense Network Abuse (END Network Abuse) Act’ issued by Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Virginia Democrat, and Rep. Mark Meadows, a North Carolina Republican, aimed to help the DOD put an end to the use of its computers and network to access and share child pornography.
Teresa Huizar, Executive Director of National Children’s Alliance, said:
“Child pornography is a shocking crime, and it’s all the more shocking to learn that our military’s computer networks are used by abusers to share and even produce images that harm victims for years to come. The END Network Abuse Act empowers military investigators to ensure networks created to protect our country are not used to exploit its children.”
The bipartisan bill came in the wake of an investigation called ‘Project Flicker’.
The project identified over 5,000 individuals, including many affiliated with DOD, who were subscribed to child porn websites, The Hill reveals.
Additionally, in 2018, The National Criminal Justice Training Center reported that DOD’s network was ranked 19th out of nearly 3,000 nationwide networks on the amount of peer-to-peer child pornography sharing.
In an official statement, Rep. Abigail Spanberger said:
“The notion that the Department of Defense’s network and Pentagon-issued computers may be used to view, create, or circulate such horrifying images is a shameful disgrace, and one we must fight head on.”
The END Network Abuse bill was supported by multiple health care and child protection groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Children’s Alliance, and the National Children’s Advocacy Center.
