The Associated Press
LOGAN, Utah (AP) -- Suggesting a link between legal pornography use and crime, the Cache County Sheriff’s Department is now requiring deputies to begin documenting porn found at crime scenes and during arrests.
In the coming weeks, the sheriff’s department will begin collecting data showing when, where and how much pornography is found at crime scenes. The details of the program are still a little sketchy, but deputies are already working on putting collection methods in place.
“It’s been evident for years. We find it in searches -- hardcore stuff, serious stuff, and the sheriff wants to track it,” said Lt. Matt Bilodeau.
Bilodeau said although possession of adult pornography by adults is not a crime, he’s seen a “steady increase” in pornography associated with crimes since he’s been with the Sheriff’s Office.
He likened the new tracking initiative to the approach police use with gang members.
"(Gangs) have certain clothes they wear, markings on their houses, tattoos,” he said. “Like gangs, people who use pornography have associated traits, and we’ll define them so we can link them to crimes and pornography.”
Dani Eyer, director of the Utah chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said she hadn’t heard of the new policy before being contacted by a reporter, but that it was disconcerting. She likened it to scouring a suspect’s bookshelf and trying to create a criminal profile from the things that person reads.
“It’s one thing to collect evidence to crimes, but it’s another thing to link thought and association to crime,” she said.
“If it’s not part of the crime -- not part of the situation they’re investigating -- it’s getting dangerously near the thought control and association control that causes the ACLU concern.”
Pornography has been linked with sex crimes, but Bilodeau concedes that an overall connection between the material and criminal behavior is unproven.
Bilodeau said he hopes the program will “help identify the problem, maybe help with data for lawmakers to pass laws to protect those who want to be protected.”
“All of this is new ground,” he said. “This will take years.”