That's Karma: Racine County K-9 helps catch child porn offenders
RACINE, Wis. - She's friendly, loves saying hi to visitors and receiving pets just like any other dog, but at the Racine County Sheriff's Office, Karma is helping catch child porn offenders — and hold them accountable.
K9 Karma
It's a crime that's becoming more sophisticated through modern technology.
"They understand that if they get caught, they're gonna lose a lot more than just maybe their job, just maybe their family, just maybe their freedom. They might lose all of that in one swoop, so they really try to conceal what they're doing," Investigator Jon Bechman said.
Jon Bechman
But with specialized training and tasty rewards along the way, the Racine County Sheriff's Office and K-9 Karma are making it a lot easier — and efficient — to crack down on child pornography possession.
"For her to be able to come into a house to eliminate rooms or pinpoint something that we need to look at closer is a huge time savings," Bechman said.
Investigator Bechman is Karma's handler. The pair assisted the state Division of Criminal Investigation in arresting Milwaukee County Judge Brett Blomme on child porn possession charges.
So Bechman showed us how Karma works...
K9 Karma
She sniffs for a chemical in electronics abbreviated as "TPPO." Karma then sits when she's found it, before showing Bechman where it is.
"Micro SD cards, thumb drives, phones, hard drives. Anything that has digital memory on it, she can detect," he said.
Using examples in water bottles, hollowed-out books and coins, Karma found her target every time — thus helping law enforcement catch theirs.
"Without having that evidence, it's very hard to prosecute, so having that evidence is the second big thing," Bechman said.
Karma has proven to be an asset beyond electronics sniffing.
She also helps investigators work with children's crime victims, getting them comfortable before talking with law enforcement.
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