Columbus, Ohio - The police chief of Columbus, Ohio, Elaine Bryant, has strongly denounced an incident in which two officers informed a father that his 11-year-old daughter could potentially face child pornography charges for sending images to a man online.
Upon learning of the incident, captured on doorbell camera footage, Chief Bryant stated, "We immediately reached out to the father to apologize, and to assure him that this matter was being fully investigated – both the actions of this officer, and more importantly, any crime committed against his child."
In an official statement, Bryant emphasized, "My expectation is that our officers treat every victim of crime with compassion, decency, and dignity. What I saw in that video did not reflect that – which is why we referred this case to the Inspector General."
The video records the arrival of two Columbus officers at Billy Blocka's residence on the early morning of September 14. Blocka had called them after discovering that his daughter had allegedly been coerced into sending photos of herself to an individual online.
In the footage, the female officer suggests, "I mean, she can probably be charged with child porn."
Blocka incredulously responds, "Who? She can? She's 11 years old."
The officer maintains, "She's creating it, right?"
To which the father reiterates, "She's 11 years old."
"It doesn't matter. She is still making porn," insists the female officer.
Blocka ultimately dismisses the officers, expressing gratitude for their visit, but not without expressing disbelief.
Blocka shared the video on Facebook the following day, explaining that this was the first time he had ever contacted the police. He was prompted to do so out of concern for the safety of others. Blocka revealed that he had discovered inappropriate content on his daughter's phone and that she had been communicating with the man for approximately a month, initially on Instagram and then on Snapchat.
"She doesn't understand what all is happening," Blocka shared. "I don't want my baby to go through this again. She needs to be safe."
Blocka further mentioned that the man in question is persistently attempting to contact his daughter.
The Columbus Police's Special Victims Bureau is scheduled to meet with Blocka's daughter and review the contents of the phone later this week.
In response to the incident, the Columbus Police Department stated on Monday that the Department of the Inspector General had launched an investigation involving the officers.
Columbus Inspector General Jacqueline Hendricks confirmed that her office is aware of the circulated video and has received several citizen complaints regarding it. She emphasized the seriousness with which her office regards each complaint.
Chief Bryant affirmed a commitment to accountability, stating, "I want to make clear – this incident does not reflect the Division as a whole. Our officers do outstanding work to bring comfort and justice to victims every day. As I have said from my first day on the job – when our officers do the right thing, we will have their back. When they don't, we will hold them accountable."