Minnesotans caught in FBI child porn sting, raising constitutional concerns

At least three Minnesota men have been charged with participating in a vast, secretive child pornography internet forum after being swept up in a far-reaching FBI sting considered the biggest hacking investigation in federal law enforcement history.

Justice Department officials say the FBI’s Operation Pacifier has helped build cases against roughly 200 people while identifying dozens of abused children and those who exploited them.

But Operation Pacifier has also triggered a series of legal challenges that are stirring constitutional debates over how law enforcement tries to smoke out criminals in the darkest corners of the web.

http://www.startribune.com/minnesotans-caught-in-fbi-child-porn-sting-raising-constitutional-concerns/396472281/