This story really bugs me: Pentagon Ignores Child Porn in its Ranks

[unhappycamper]

Pentagon Ignores Child Porn in its Ranks
Posted by Joshua Holland at 9:17 am
September 3, 2010

John Cook reports for Yahoo News that the Pentagon unearthed the names of more than 250 DoD personnel who had purchased child pornography online, but declined to investigate more than a handful. The purchases were uncovered in a larger civilian investigation conducted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). An investigative arm of the DoD then cross-checked the names against military databases to generate the list of Defense Department employees.

But according to Cook, the agency “opened investigations into only 20 percent of the individuals identified, and succeeded in prosecuting just a handful.” A total of 264 DoD staff were identified, according to records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Cook writes:

Astonishingly, nine of those had “Top Secret Sensitive Compartmentalized Information” security clearances, meaning they had access to the nation’s most sensitive secrets. All told, 76 of the individuals had Secret or higher clearances. But DCIS investigated only 52 of the suspects, and just 10 were ever charged with viewing or purchasing child pornography…

The vast majority of those investigated, including an active-duty lieutenant colonel in the Army and an official in the office of the secretary of defense, were never charged. On top of that, 212 people on ICE’s list were never investigated at all.

A source familiar with the investigation, who was granted anonymity to discuss the details, said that the Pentagon’s investigative unit was focused on contractor fraud and didn’t have the resources to pursue cases unrelated to its core mission. “We were stuck in a situation where we had some great information, but didn’t have the resources to run with it,” the source told Cook. Many of the investigative reports he obtained end with a similar citation: “Due to DCIS headquarters’ direction and other DCIS investigative priorities, this investigation is (sic) cancelled.”



unhappycamper comment: Why were these people not investigated? Granted, there's tons of fraud to be investigated in anything the DoD does, but why did they just flat out ignore these 264 people "who had purchased child pornography online"? This reminds me of the Catholic Church pedophile scandals around the world. Ignore it and it will go away.

Why do they still have security clearances? Were some of these the people who got psychologists into the bu$h torture program? We these some of the black ops guys in the kidnap and torture (a.k.a. rendition) program?

Why are they still working for the DoD? Who's their rabbi?

Does the DoD support pedophiles? Why?

Lotsa question here, but few answers. :(

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. The DOD can do no wrong under this admin.

[hlthe2b]

2. Unfortunately, they will likely use it to justify the ongoing

aggressive push of XIAN fundie Christianity into the ranks and the bullying tactics being used to spread its influence.

[piratefish08]

3. laws are for the little people.

[DrDan]

4. we outsource so many other services - why not investigations such as these

and . . . aren't civil laws being broken? Why not turn the info over to local authorities?

[zipplewrath]

6. They do

They frequently outsource investigations to civilian subcontractors. However, that does cost money and there isn't always budget for that. The don't turn it over to "local authorities" because it typically involves evidence that will be classified to some degree, and the local authorities often don't have the ability to deal with it. More over, it can hinder prosecution since they will be public.

Understand, I'm not defending any of this. The system is seriously outta whack. It would take about 2 seconds for a congress critter to volunteer to arrange for the proper funding to be generated to staff the necessary people to pursue these charges. And the courts have the ability to deal with classified information in public trials. But it is a case of the people who can make this all happen just don't care enough to make it happen. FWIW, in the long run these folks are probably in professional trouble because this information, in one way or another, ends up harming their careers and their abilities to hold onto higher level clearances. But no, there will be no "perp walks" and frequently no criminal prosecutions. A future clearance will be denied, and that will hinder their ability to get work.

[whistler162]

5. So any update on the story from 2006 or just a regurgitation?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20100903/us_yblog_upshot/pentagon-declined-to-investigate-hundreds-of-purchases-of-child-pornography

"A 2006 Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigation into the purchase of child pornography online turned up more than 250 civilian and military employees of the Defense Department -- including some with the highest available security clearance -- who used credit cards or PayPal to purchase images of children in sexual situations. But the Pentagon investigated only a handful of the cases, Defense Department records show."

[CanonRay]

7. They react just like the Catholic church

or any other large beaurocratic, authoritarian organization. They CYA first, last, and foremost.