Kenbridge man charged with child pornography

A Kenbridge man is in jail today, charged with child pornography. The Lunenburg County Sheriff’s Office reported Thursday, August 9, that 32-year-old Alan Jay Hersherberger was arrested and charged following a joint investigation by the Sheriff’s Office and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Hersherberger faces one count of knowingly possessing child pornography. The investigation is ongoing, Lunenburg Sheriff Arthur Townsend Jr. said. Additional charges are expected.

“We would like to thank the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Kenbridge Police Department and the Virginia State Police for their quick response and assistance in this case,” Townsend said. “We encourage the community to come forward with information that may help our investigation.”

Anyone with information regarding this individual is urged to contact the Lunenburg County Sheriff’s Office Crime Solvers at 434-696-3100.

What does the task force do besides child pornography?

So what task force helped in this case? The Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children (SOVA-ICAC) Task Force was formed in 1998.

It was one of the first 10 such groups launched in the United States. Originally called “Operation Blue Ridge Thunder,” the group works to combat the rise of online child sexual exploitation on several fronts. This includes investigating online child sexual exploitation, providing technical and forensic assistance to local agencies, and providing education and public awareness to the community.

The SOVA-ICAC Task Force has over 150 task force members and covers the area from far southwestern Virginia to the Delmarva Peninsula on the Eastern Shore and as far north as Greene County. Lunenburg as well as all surrounding law enforcement agencies are involved in the group.