An online sex sting by the Jasper County Sheriff's Department claims a U.S. Marine staff sergent was initiating sexual conversations with a detective posing as a 13-year-old girl. The sting is not anything new for the Jasper County Sheriff's Department.
This is the fourth arrest in three months concerning an adult accused of enticing children over the internet.
Jasper County Detective Ed Bailey's job is dedicated to internet crimes against children. He says it's the "crime of today", and it's too much to handle.
"Every case that I work, I simply make myself visible and I allow them to make first contact, and every chat after that they initiate contact," says Detective Bailey.
The detective says he does not lure these online predators, and says most of them seem to know better in the first place.
"Almost every one that I've talked to so far at some point has asked me if I was a police officer, and when I ask them why they say 'we know that there's guys out there that are pretending to be little kids to catch people doing stuff.'"
Still, they continue to talk with Bailey and the conversations escalate, as with the latest case in which a Marine in Missouri is accused of attempted enicement of a child and sexual misconduct.
"He started using sexual suggestion and when I would accept them he would make more and they would get more assertive."
Bailey says with more than 20 active cases, this problem is too overwhelming for him to handle.
He says parents need to do their part to keep their children safe.
"Look over their shoulder," Bailey says. "Know what their passwords are. Check their email. Check their instant messages. Leave your archives on if they're using chat services."
Bailey says although children do have their own privacy rights their safety overrides them.
The Jasper County sheriff is currently considering adding new technology to their online investigations such as voice changing software.
And for those chatting with minors Detective Bailey has just one thing to say.
"I'll be there waiting for you."
