12 facing charges after Springs child porn bust

Posted: Feb 14, 2013 5:33 PM by Jacqui Heinrich, jheinrich@koaa.com
Updated: Feb 15, 2013 7:55 AM

Twelve people are facing felony charges, accused of sexually exploiting children.

The Colorado Springs Police Department along with several federal agencies concluded a months long investigation using several tips from the public.

The twelve suspects are accused of possessing and distributing child pornography; they range in age from 16-68 years old. All arrests except one were made within Colorado Springs.

Officials from CSPD's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force say memorializing exploited children by distributing video and images is a rampant problem throughout the state, and it's not happening to the age group you'd think would be the most likely target. "You're thinking more of a teenager, in reality what we see more and more is pre-pubescent and infants," Sgt. Bill Dehart of CSPD told News 5.

Detectives say photos and video are ususally taken by those closest to the children; more than 1/3 of the time children are exploited by people that they trust.

Police were able to piece this bust together using tips from the public; if you believe a child you know is being exploited, call police immediately.