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A Kenbridge man is in jail today, facing child porn charges. The Lunenburg County Sheriff’s Office said on Thursday, Aug. 9, 32-year-old Alan Jay Hershberger was arrested and charged after a joint investigation between the Sheriff’s Office and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. 

Hershberger faces one count of knowingly possessing child porn. The investigation, meanwhile, is still ongoing, Lunenburg Sheriff Arthur Townsend Jr. said. Additional charges are anticipated. 

“We extend our gratitude to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Kenbridge Police Department, and the Virginia State Police for their swift response and assistance in this matter,” Townsend said. “We encourage the community to come forward with any information that may aid in our investigation.”

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

Beyond child porn, what does task force do? 

So what is the task force that helped in this case? The Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children (SOVA-ICAC) Task Force got started in 1998.

It was one of the first 10 such groups to launch 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 involves 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 from far Southwest Virginia to the Delmarva Peninsula on the Eastern Shore and as far north as Greene County. Both Lunenburg and all of the surrounding law enforcement agencies are involved with the group.