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WEBVTT CRAIG: TODAY, LOCAL LAWENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ANNOUNCEDNEW WAYS THEY PLAN TO CATCHSEXUAL PREDATORS ONLINE.PAIG LET'S BRING IN ALLISONWISE.SHE IS RUNNING AS WITH THEBENTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICEAND NOW THEY ARE WORKING TO KEEPUP WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY TOPROTECT YOUR KIDS.ALLISON?REPORTER: SHERIFF SHAWN HOLLOWAYSAID TODAY, SOMETIMES MANPOWERIS JUST NOT ENOUGH.HE SAYS USING TECHNOLOGY ISCRITICAL IN THE WAY THEYINVESTIGATE CASETHE CYBER CRIMES UNIT WILL NOWBE WORKING ON A NEW INITIATITO DO JUST THAT.BITCOIN IS A WAY TO PAY FORTHINGS ON THE WEB, A FORM OFDIGITAL CURRENCY.PEOPLE USE IT BECAUSE IT'SMOSTLY UNTRACKABLE ANDANONYMOULAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS SAYTHEY'RE SEEING A RISE INCRIMINALS USING BITCOIN TO SHARECHILD PORNOGRAPHY, BUY ILLEGALDRUGS, AND TO USE FOR HUMANTRAFFICKING THROUGH SECRET WEBBROWSERS.>> MANY OF THE CRIMINALS FEELTHEY ARE SAFE TO USE THISDIGITAL DEVICE ON THE DARK WEBAND THIS CURRENCY TO FILL THEIRSICK NEEDS.I SAY TO THEM, NOT IN BENTONCOUNTY.WE ARE GOING TO STAY AHEAD OFTHIS AND CONTINUE TO LOOK FORWAYS TO ADVANCE AND STAY AHEADOF CRIMINALS ONE STEP AT A TIME.REPORTER: THE BENTON COUNTYSHERIFFS OFFICE ANNOUNCED TODAYMEMBERS OF THEIR CYBER CRIMESUNIT WILL NOW BE MINING BITCOIN.MINING IS DIFFERENT THAN BUYINGOR TRADING BITCOINS, AND IT'SCHEAPER.DETECTIVE DAVID UNDIANO SAYSTHIS IS A WAY FOR THE DEPARTMENTTO CATCH PREDATORS THAT WON'TCOST TAX DOLLARS.>> PEOPLE ARE SELLING CHILDPORNOGRAPHY ON THE DARK WEB ANDON THE INTERNET.AND THEY ARE ACCEPTING BITCOINS,NOT PAYMENTS.SO WE CAN'T USE THE SHERIFF'SOFFICE CREDIT CARD AND WE CAN'TEXCHANGE CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, SOWE HAVE TO HAVE SOME TYPE OFCURRENCY TO GET THIS. IDENTIFY WHO WE ARE GETTING ITFROM AND THEN GO ARREST THATPERSON.REPORTER: SHERIFF HOLLOWAY SAYSTHIS INITIATIVE WILL ALLOW THEMTO KEEP UP WITH CHANGES INTECHNOLOGY IN ORDER TO CATCHMORE CRIMINALS.>> A LOT OF PEOPLE DO NOT KNOWBITCOIN WAS STABLE AND BE AROUNDBUT IT HAS PROVEN ITSELF THAT ITWILL BE AROUND FOR AWHILE.I'M PRETTY PROUD OF THE GUYSSTANDING BEHIND ME, THAT CAME UPWITH A PLAN TO BE ABLE TO DEALWITH THESE TYPES OF CASES AND BEABLE TO INVESTIGATE THIS. I THINK IT'S PRETTY INNOVATIVE.>> A SHERIFF SAYS THE UNIT WILLBE WORKING WITH FEDERAL AGENCIESWHEN THEY IDENTIFY CASES THATNEED TO BE INVESTIGATED AT AHIGHER JURISDICTION.ALLISON WISE, 40/29 NEWS.PAIGE: THANK YOU SO MUCH.IF YOU WANT A BETTERUNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOUR KIDSARE DOING ONLINE THE SHERIFF'S, OFFICE IS HOSTING A PARENTSNIGHT OUT EVENT WHICH INCLUDES AQ AND A AND DEMONSTRATION ABOUTONLINE DANGERS.ITS FREE FROM 6:00 TO 8:00 P.M.

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Sheriff Shawn Holloway said Tuesday that with the ever-changing technology, it's critical for law enforcement officials to keep up with what criminals are doing online. Today the sheriff announced that members of their cyber crimes unit will now be "mining" bitcoins as a way to catch sexual predators and other criminals who are using the secret web browsers. According to the Federal Bureau Investigation, there's been a rise in the number of people using bitcoin to trade or distribute child pornography, to buy drugs illegally and for prostitution or human trafficking. "We just want to be at the forefront with bitcoin so we have tool in our belt to be able to combat this and keep our great community safe," Holloway said. Mining bitcoins is different than buying or trading the digital currency. Detective David Undiano said it's a way for detectives to gather bitcoins online without being discovered or traced by criminals and it's cheaper. "People are selling child pornography on the dark web and on the internet. They are accepting bitcoins, not payments. We can't use the sheriff's office credit card, and we cant exchange child pornography. We need some type currency to get this and then identify who we are getting it from. That way, we can go arrest that person," Undiano said. The cyber crimes division will host a free Parents Night Out event on Thursday from 6 -8p.m. to help parents better understand how the "dark web" works and what to do to keep your kids safe when they're online. There will be a live demonstration and Q&A.