ISLE OF WIGHT, VA — ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY, Va. — Behind the doors of the Isle of Wight Sheriff's Office Special Investigations Division, a small team of investigators spends its days pursuing people accused of exploiting children online.
"We hunt predators."
That's how Lt. Matt Van Wassen describes the mission of the department's Digital Forensics Unit, which investigates child exploitation cases, tracks the distribution of child sexual abuse material, and identifies adults who attempt to contact minors online.
One recent investigation led detectives to a 70-year-old Isle of Carrolton man accused of possessing child sexual abuse material.
"Unfortunately, after doing this for as long as we've been doing it, nothing surprises me," Van Wassen said.
According to investigators, a search warrant executed at the suspect's home uncovered illegal material stored on a computer.
Technology Working Around the Clock
A key weapon in the unit's investigations is a computer running specialized software designed to identify known child exploitation material.
The system operates continuously, scanning for digital signatures known as "hash values." Van Wassen compares the process to identifying a file through its unique mathematical fingerprint. "So it's looking for the DNA of the photos," says Van Wassen.
"It's probably found stuff right now as we speak," he said, explaining that investigators often return to the office to discover new leads generated while they were away.
The software searches for specific indicators tied to previously identified illegal files, helping detectives narrow their focus and build cases more efficiently.
Social Media Companies Also Sending Tips
Law enforcement is not working alone.
Van Wassen said social media platforms frequently flag suspicious activity and send reports to investigators. Those reports can come from companies such as Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok and others.
Van Wassen points to this example involving a report from Snapchat, like this conversation flagged from snapchat, "So in this particular one, it's actually chatting back and forth. So the person is talking to what looks like a juvenile who says they're 16. The person is identified, the other person is identified as an older person above the age of 21. The algorithm will detect if it is something that we probably need to look at," Van Wassen said. "If it is, they will provide us with the initial report, and then we'll do search warrants and follow-up information to get more data to build the case."
Going Undercover Online
The unit also conducts undercover operations, creating online personas that pose as children in places where young people typically spend time.
"So we put ourselves in positions and places that kids hang out on the internet," Van Wassen said. "Whether it be chat rooms or apps or games."
Investigators stress they do not initiate conversations.
"We're just putting ourselves in there posing as children and then we're contacted," he said. "Unfortunately, it happens very quickly."
In some cases, authorities say suspects go beyond online communication and travel to meet someone they believe is a child.
Advice for Parents
While technology plays a major role in the investigations, Van Wassen says parents remain one of the most effective lines of defense.
"I can't tell you the number of times I've had parents come in here and say, 'Hey, I found this message on my child's phone,'" he said. "We're able to stop something that would have been very bad because the parent took the time at dinner to say, 'Hey, what's this message about?' or 'Who's this?'"
Investigators encourage parents to maintain access to their children's phones, regularly review online activity and talk openly with their kids about the apps and platforms they use.
The Isle of Wight Sheriff's Office says awareness and communication can help identify warning signs early and prevent children from becoming victims of online exploitation.
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