Kentucky State Police arrested three men on charges related to child pornography. The arrests came as the result of an investigation by the agency's Electronic Crime Branch.

23-year old Eric Dean Bryant of Pine Knot was arrested on January 30th.

The parents of a nine-year-old North Carolina boy discovered inappropriate conversations and photos on their son's email and notified the Fuquay-Varina (NC) Police Department. The North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force traced the suspect to Kentucky and contacted Kentucky State Police
.
Detectives here interviewed Bryant, which led to a search warrant at his home in Pine Knot. Bryant was charged with Possession of Matter Portraying the Sexual Performance by a Minor, Use of Electronic Communications System to Procure a Minor for a Sexual Offense, and Promoting a Minor under the Age of 16 in a Sex Performance.

33-year old James Cheatham of Willisburg was arrested on January 31. Cheatham is accused of sharing images of child sexual exploitation. He is charged with Possession of Matter Portraying the Sexual Performance of a Minor and Distribution of Matter Portraying the Sexual Performance of a Minor.

55-year old Alfred Stratton was arrested on February 1, 2012, accused of sharing pornographic material. Stratton is charged with Possession of Matter Portraying the Sexual Performance of a Minor and Distribution of Matter Portraying the Sexual Performance of a Minor.

The KSP Electronic Crime Branch is part the Kentucky ICAC Task Force, which is made-up of dozens of officers throughout the commonwealth that investigate the crime of child sexual exploitation. KSP administers the task force, one of 61 coordinated programs created nationwide in an effort to combat the growing problem of child sexual exploitation.

"The program really emphasizes partnerships," said Lt. Shane Bates, commander of the KSP Electronic Crime Branch. "Technology now allows offenders to contact victims well beyond our borders or share pornographic material with people anywhere in the world."

"Without the group effort involving the Fuquay-Varina Police Dept., the North Carolina ICAC Task Force, and the KSP Electronic Crime Branch, the arrest of Bryant, would not have occurred," Bates said.

Social networking sites, chat rooms, file-sharing programs, message boards and forums now make it easier for people to trade child pornography and connect with children.

"While computers and cell phones remain the primary means of communication," Bates said, "game systems that can connect to the Internet give predators another way to gain access to children electronically."

"In the past, parents primarily worried about the chat rooms their children visited on a desktop computer. Today, it's much easier to make contact with children. Nowadays nearly everyone has a phone that can connect to the Internet, including the ones we provide to our children," Bates said.