Will County Gets Child Porn-Sniffing Dog

JOLIET, IL — Will County has a new weapon in the fight against against child pornography: a lanky, rambunctious Black Labrador that has been specially trained to detect hidden electronic devices.

The dog, which is not only a first for the county, but for Illinois as a whole, was purchased by Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow from Jordan Detection K-9 in Greenfield, Ind.

Cache (pronounced cash) will serve in the High Technology Crimes Unit that Glasgow created in 2012 to track down and prosecute those who produce, distribute and/or download child pornography on the Internet, according to a news release from the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office. Glasgow utilized funds he has seized from criminal activities to cover the cost of Cache and his training as well as for dog supplies.

Cache was owned and trained by Todd Jordan, an Indiana firefighter who pioneered the training of dogs to detect a proprietary chemical used in SD cards, thumb drives or other electronic devices that can store digital content.

Jordan, who originally trained dogs to identify accelerants at fire scenes, became well-known when his first electronic detection dog, which is named Bear, sniffed out electronic devices hidden inside Subway pitchman Jared Fogle’s sprawling Indiana home. Bear later located key evidence in United States Gymnastics Coach Marvin Sharp's residence as well as in his gymnasium. Jordan has since trained six electronic detection K9s.

High Technology Crimes Unit investigators can identify Internet Protocol Addresses used to download or transmit child pornography and then identify suspects. However, in an effort to throw off investigators, suspects will hide tiny SD cards or other digital storage devices inside what are often extremely cluttered houses or apartments, many of which could be featured in the TV show “Hoarders.” Cache will help Will County investigators find the proverbial needle in the haystack during the execution of search warrants. Once found, the devices can be inspected on site for child pornography by highly trained forensic investigators.

“My investigative team will be the first Internet Crimes Against Children unit in Illinois to possess this important new tool in the battle to stop child pornography,” said Glasgow. “Cache and his highly sensitive nose will take the execution of search warrants to a new level, making it harder for suspects to thwart investigators by hiding their stashes of child pornography. I also look forward to assisting other law enforcement agencies at both the state and federal level by making Cache available to them whenever possible.”

Cache can detect the chemicals in electronic devices, not the content that is stored inside them. This means that the dog could be called out to locate these devices for many other law enforcement situations as well.

When he arrives in early November, Cache will join a team of canines at the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office. While Cache will be a K-9 involved in criminal investigations, there are four therapy dogs – Jackson, Malley, Kiwi and Angus – working in the office to provide comfort to child abuse victims at the Will County Children’s Advocacy Center as well as to participants in Veterans Court, Drug Court and Mental Health Court. Kiwi and Angus are trained to assist children while they are testifying in court.

For information on Cache and other electronic detection dogs, visit on the Web at http://www.electronicdetectionk9.com/.

Photo: Cache is the first dog in Illinois trained to detect SD cards, thumb drives or other electronic devices that can store digital content that could include child pornography. (Courtesy of the Will County State's Attorney's Office)