Cyber crimes Task Force faces loss of funding
January 14, 2015
Steve Chapman
The Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force (SMCCTF), which is charged with apprehending and prosecuting those who prey on children over the Internet, may soon be shut down due to a lack of funding.
The SMCCTF is one of 12 Missouri regional task forces that investigates Internet sex crimes against children, and its jurisdiction encompasses the 14 counties located in the southwest corner of Missouri. Some of the people they recently investigated include Matthew Casas and Chase Norman, both of Cassville, and Tong Yang, of Stella.
Casas, 25, was charged in March with receiving and distributing child pornography, while Norman, 23, was indicted in November on a count of using a minor to produce child pornography and two counts of using the Internet and a cell phone to induce a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity. Both men remain in federal custody, awaiting trial. Yang pled guilty in September to transporting a minor across state lines for illicit sex and was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison without parole.
Last June, the Missouri General Assembly voted to approve a $1.5 million grant to fund all of the regional task forces, but according to Det. Chip Root, who heads the SMCCTF, Governor Jay Nixon has yet to release those funds. He said they normally receive $200,000 a year in grant money.
The SMCCTF employs three full-time, grant-funded employees: Det. Brian Martin, from the Barry County Sheriff’s Department, Det. James Smith, from the Cassville Police Department, and Det. Tim Williams, from the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department. Root did not know how long the task force could keep operating without funding, but said if it the money was not released soon, Martin will be transferred back to the Barry County Sheriff’s Department.
Martin is in charge of processing all cyber tips received by the SMCCTF from the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, including determining if the reported crimes fall in their jurisdiction. Last year he processed about 80 cases. He also does undercover work on the Internet, investigating enticement, child pornography and child prostitution.
If the grant money is not released, Martin expects his transfer to take place no later than Jan. 31, which he said this would be a devastating blow to the SMCCTF’s efforts. “We were already horribly understaffed with only three guys doing the investigating,” he said. “There is no way only two guys can keep up with investigating the most horrendous crimes.”
Cassville Police Chief Dana Kammerlohr agreed. “The SMCCTF works as a team, and they have many hours of specialized training,” she said. “To lose one investigator will affect the productivity of the task force and their ability to track down the predators.”
Barry County Sheriff Mick Epperly believes that if the SMCCTF is forced to shut down, catching Internet predators will become extremely difficult for local law enforcement. “The task force has all of the tools to work with this,” he said. “The Sheriff’s office would have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars we don’t have to catch these predators.”
Kammerlohr also believes losing the SMCCTF will burden on the City Police. Det. Smith will be able to continue with the SMCCTF because that is included in the department’s budget. However, when the grant money is distributed, the department is supposed to be reimbursed for Smith’s salary. “We have always budgeted this position in case something like this happened,” Kammerlohr said, “but it will be a hardship.” She added, “I hope Governor Nixon will reconsider and release the money so we don’t lose the investigators who may be the ones who protect our children or grandchildren from one of these predators.”
Missouri State Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick said he has attempted to contact Gov. Nixon, urging him to release the funds, but has heard no reply. “I have written to governor Nixon, strongly recommending that he release the funds he is currently restricting for the Cyber Crimes Task Force,” Fitzpatrick said. “Unfortunately, I have received no response to my letter. The task force serves a very important purpose, and I will continue to urge the governor to release the funds that the legislature appropriated.”
Anyone wishing to write to Governor Nixon can send the letters to: Office of Governor Jay Nixon, PO Box 720, Jefferson City, MO, 65102. The governor can also be e-mailed from his website at http://governor.mo.gov.
Steve Chapman
The Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force (SMCCTF), which is charged with apprehending and prosecuting those who prey on children over the Internet, may soon be shut down due to a lack of funding.
The SMCCTF is one of 12 Missouri regional task forces that investigates Internet sex crimes against children, and its jurisdiction encompasses the 14 counties located in the southwest corner of Missouri. Some of the people they recently investigated include Matthew Casas and Chase Norman, both of Cassville, and Tong Yang, of Stella.
Casas, 25, was charged in March with receiving and distributing child pornography, while Norman, 23, was indicted in November on a count of using a minor to produce child pornography and two counts of using the Internet and a cell phone to induce a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity. Both men remain in federal custody, awaiting trial. Yang pled guilty in September to transporting a minor across state lines for illicit sex and was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison without parole.
Last June, the Missouri General Assembly voted to approve a $1.5 million grant to fund all of the regional task forces, but according to Det. Chip Root, who heads the SMCCTF, Governor Jay Nixon has yet to release those funds. He said they normally receive $200,000 a year in grant money.
The SMCCTF employs three full-time, grant-funded employees: Det. Brian Martin, from the Barry County Sheriff’s Department, Det. James Smith, from the Cassville Police Department, and Det. Tim Williams, from the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department. Root did not know how long the task force could keep operating without funding, but said if it the money was not released soon, Martin will be transferred back to the Barry County Sheriff’s Department.
Martin is in charge of processing all cyber tips received by the SMCCTF from the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, including determining if the reported crimes fall in their jurisdiction. Last year he processed about 80 cases. He also does undercover work on the Internet, investigating enticement, child pornography and child prostitution.
If the grant money is not released, Martin expects his transfer to take place no later than Jan. 31, which he said this would be a devastating blow to the SMCCTF’s efforts. “We were already horribly understaffed with only three guys doing the investigating,” he said. “There is no way only two guys can keep up with investigating the most horrendous crimes.”
Cassville Police Chief Dana Kammerlohr agreed. “The SMCCTF works as a team, and they have many hours of specialized training,” she said. “To lose one investigator will affect the productivity of the task force and their ability to track down the predators.”
Barry County Sheriff Mick Epperly believes that if the SMCCTF is forced to shut down, catching Internet predators will become extremely difficult for local law enforcement. “The task force has all of the tools to work with this,” he said. “The Sheriff’s office would have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars we don’t have to catch these predators.”
Kammerlohr also believes losing the SMCCTF will burden on the City Police. Det. Smith will be able to continue with the SMCCTF because that is included in the department’s budget. However, when the grant money is distributed, the department is supposed to be reimbursed for Smith’s salary. “We have always budgeted this position in case something like this happened,” Kammerlohr said, “but it will be a hardship.” She added, “I hope Governor Nixon will reconsider and release the money so we don’t lose the investigators who may be the ones who protect our children or grandchildren from one of these predators.”
Missouri State Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick said he has attempted to contact Gov. Nixon, urging him to release the funds, but has heard no reply. “I have written to governor Nixon, strongly recommending that he release the funds he is currently restricting for the Cyber Crimes Task Force,” Fitzpatrick said. “Unfortunately, I have received no response to my letter. The task force serves a very important purpose, and I will continue to urge the governor to release the funds that the legislature appropriated.”
Anyone wishing to write to Governor Nixon can send the letters to: Office of Governor Jay Nixon, PO Box 720, Jefferson City, MO, 65102. The governor can also be e-mailed from his website at http://governor.mo.gov.
