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Detective Bill Conn: Working To Keep Our Children Safe |
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Saturday, 10 September 2011 |
If serving in our armed forces in Afghanistan was the only thing Bill did to serve our nation, it would be more than enough. However, the truth is, Bill Conn has spent most of his life in service to others. Serving as a police officer for almost 25 years, Bill's most recent assignment, an assignment which he volunteered for in 2007, has been one of his most difficult, but it also has been very rewarding. For assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit, he gets up and goes to work each and everyday to do what he can to protect our children, all of our children.
And with millions of children now using the internet, it's an extremely complicated task. The U. S. Department of Justice says "20% of children ages 10-17 receive unwanted sexual solicitations on line". Dedicated and determined, those who serve Ohio's ICAC have worked hard and sacrificed much to apprehend and prosecute Internet child predators and child pornographers, as well as to educate parents and children about Internet safety. And they have done an incredible job of both.
 As for convicting those guilty of internet crimes against children, it is no easy task. In 2010, "ICAC offices throughout the country worked together to train over 31,000 members of law enforcement, over 2,400 prosecutors and more than 9,000 other professionals working in the ICAC field". And the training is much needed, because it takes a special expertise to convict those guilty of these crimes against children. For in order to convict the guilty, the information must first be extracted from the computer, cell phone or other electronic device that was used in the crime. And that is where computer forensic experts such as Bill Conn come in. Using special programs, Bill Conn is able to extract the material that was used in the crime and verify it for the court. The truth is, without officers such as Bill, it would be difficult, if not impossible to see how these criminals could ever be convicted. Assigned to a number of major cases, Bill has been able help ensure that in the majority of these cases, these criminals have gone exactly where they should: Jail.
 One thing that makes Bill Conn stand out is that he asked to be assigned to ICAC. He did so when his second son was just a baby. And in fact, one of the reasons he volunteered for ICAC is that loving his own sons as he does, he realized just how much these innocent children, our most vulnerable victims, needed a voice, a person to protect them. And so he asked to be assigned to ICAC. Although members of law enforcement such as Bill Conn never complain. The truth is that no human being who cares about children can work with ICAC without paying a huge price. The incredible pain these children are forced to endure and the degree to which these innocent children are harmed stays with them always. Law enforcement members such as Bill succeed at ICAC because they care about children, but that is also why it is such an incredibly difficult job, but it's also one that is desperately needed. And one that by all accounts, he does extremely well!
“In addition to being a great friend, colleague and family-man, Bill
serves his community and country in so many ways. From a street cop,
to a leader in the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, or
responding as a reservist to the natural disaster in Haiti and our war
against extremist terrorism in Afghanistan, Bill is always willing and
proud to serve. He defines character, integrity, commitment and
patriotism, yet is one the most humble people you will ever meet. The
collective strength of our country remains resolute because of the
individual strength of Americans like Bill Conn.”
Charles Goss
Chief of Police
Strongsville, OH PD
"I have worked with Bill Conn in the past, during my time with the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children’s Task Force. Bill should be recognized and commended for his tireless efforts on these crimes and his continued dedication to the law enforcement profession. His most recent assignment is with the task force, doing computer forensics. I couldn’t even begin to tell you the vast amount of cases that he has to analyze. He has attended numerous amounts of schools in order to become one of few investigators in the State of Ohio, certified to do computer forensics. Bill’s dedication to law enforcement, the City of Cleveland and the greater Cleveland area are second to none. His dedication goes beyond the Cleveland area, in that he served honorably in the United States Marine Corps and then joined the United States Air Force shortly after 9/11. It has been an honor to work with Bill and I look forward to many more years of working with him". -
Detective Tom Connor
Public Information Officer
Parma, Ohio PD
Thank you Bill, for all you do to help our children. Because of you, and officers like you, our children are safer and Moms sleep easier because we know you and other members of ICAC are working hard to keep our kids safe.
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