Georgia Bureau of Investigation officials this week reported a steady increase in the number of arrests in child exploitation cases over the past three years.
The numbers relate to investigations conducted by the agency's two special details that relate to such crimes.
Fiscal year 2016 arrests related to investigations by the agency's Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit and Georgia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force totalled 275. Fiscal year 2015 and 2014 arrest numbers were 201 and 189 respectively.
Special Agent in Charge Debbie Garner, who oversees both the unit and task force, said agents can't pinpoint the exact reason for the increase, but believe that proactive law enforcement efforts are a large part of it.
"We also have seen an increase in the number of agencies that have joined the task force, and we attribute that to some of the rise in arrests as well," Garner said in a Friday interview with Russell Brown on WDUN's Afternoon News Wrap.
The task force in Georgia is made up of over 200 different state, federal and other law enforcement agencies and prosecutor's offices. The program, created on a national level by the U.S. Department of Justice, is a response to an increasing number of children and teenagers using the Internet, the proliferation of child pornography and the heightened online activity by predators, according to the GBI.
"Basically predators have more access to children, due to the advent of the Internet. These crimes have always occurred , but the Internet makes it just a little bit easier for predators to come in contact with our children," Garner said.
While stopping short of recommending appropriate ages for children to have Internet connected devices, Garner said parents need to be aware of what their children are doing online. She used Snapchat as an example.
"If your children has a Snapchat account, then our advice is for you to have a Snapchat account. Know how the application works. Check on your child's activity on the application and teach you child how to navigate through using this technology," Garner said.
Regardless of the age parents allow their children to have a device, Garner said, "eventually they are going to have to know how to be a good digital citizen and how to keep themself safe online."
In 2015, the task force in Georgia received about 3,000 tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to the GBI. The task force also conducted 391 Internet safety presentations.
"The officers and agents that are involved in the task force are some of the most dedicated law enforcement professionals you'll come in contact with," Garner said.
