NJ Department Adds K9 Trained to Sniff Out Child Porn

Gloucester County Sheriff Jonathan M. Sammons, with Walt and Det. Farid at Walt's swearing in ceremony.IMAGE: Gloucester County Sheriff's OfficeThe newest member of the Gloucester County (New Jersey) Prosecutor's team is a scent-detecting dog named Walt who is trained to uncover hidden caches of child pornography.

An article on MSM.com reported that Walt, an 18-month-old German short-haired pointer, is trained to detect a substance found in electronic media devices like smartphones, flash drives, and memory cards.

Det. Daniel Farid from the prosecutor’s office told the media outlet that perpetrators often download illegal material onto one of these devices and conceal it, possibly to keep it hidden from a spouse or in preparation for a police visit.

Walt came to the US from Croatia in March and completed his training at the New Jersey State Police Canine Training Academy in June. He is now certified in electronic scent detection, MSM.com reported.

Farid told the media outlet that Walt is only the fifth dog trained with this skill in New Jersey.

Dogs like Walt are trained to detect a chemical called triphenylphosphine oxide, which is commonly used in electronics production, Farid reported in the article. Even inside the casing of a cellphone or when a tiny memory card is masked by other odors, these dogs can still sniff out the chemical, according to the article.

Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of Detectives Tom Gilbert described Walt as a “low-tech solution to a high-tech problem” in the article. He noted that prosecutors can’t make their cases without the kinds of evidence Walt is trained to find.

Farid and Walt, along with the agency’s high-tech crimes unit, are based at the prosecutor’s new Child Advocacy Center in Woodbury. The facility offers a secure environment for young crime victims to communicate with investigators and receive support in navigating the legal process, MSM.com reported.

Farid mentioned that Walt is also a certified therapy dog, providing comfort to traumatized kids.

Walt cost the organization around $10,000. This cost and the cost for his training was covered through fundraising by the Friends of the Child Advocacy Center of Gloucester County, according to the report.