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PROTECT, a children’s lobbying group fighting against child pornography, is recruiting a new brand of heroes – wounded war veterans, according to MSN News.
According to federal officials, the children’s lobbying group pitched the idea to incorporate wounded service members transitioning out of the military, or already separated, for free to run after child pornographers, the report said.
The war veterans would undergo 11 weeks of intensive computer and legal training before they get assigned to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office.
“I love challenges. And I have a family of my own,” said Oskar Zepeda, 29. “I feel I’m still serving my country and protecting my family at the same time.”
Shannon Krieger, an Army veteran, shares the same feelings as Zepeda.
“This was a new fight I could sink my teeth into. That’s what really I was looking for. I wasn’t just going to take a job so I can have a paycheck,” she said.
Though the unpaid part is certainly a downside, the Post notes the computer training they receive is an extremely desirable skill in law enforcement positions and could help them attain paying jobs once the one-year internship is completed. Additionally, most of the vets are receiving disability compensation and a monthly stipend from the Department of Veterans Affairs for education.
Krieger added her work so far has already exposed her to “the real dark side of what humankind can do.”
“I’m talking about young kids, 18-month olds, toddlers. This is some of the most horrible stuff I could conceive of imagining and I’m looking at it on a daily basis,” she said.
Canadajournal/AP
