Cops scramble to keep up with kid porn

WASHINGTON, April 16 (UPI) -- Law enforcement agencies in the United States say they have developed software that makes it easier to monitor Internet trafficking in child pornography.

About 1,800 investigators nationwide are using the software that can zero in on individual computers and collect evidence of the images it sends and receives that can be used for search warrants, USA Today said Wednesday.

Despite the breakthrough, police say technology is also fueling a growth in child porn. Not only can hard drives store more images, but some youths are using cell phone cameras to peddle pictures of themselves to a growing audience.

"There aren't enough cops in the world" to pursue every lead," said FBI Agent Arnold Bell.

The growing database on child-porn offenders is also giving insights into their psychological makeup, USA Today said. Researchers said one in four defendants had a prior history of molesting children, and that as many as 85-percent of convicted porn peddlers admitted after treatment that they had committed molestation.