Forensic Science Center to receive $700K
By Justin McElroy
The Herald-Dispatch
September 29, 2006
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- When the West Virginia State Police brought Harold Dewane Wooten up on felony child pornography charges, they didn't do it on their own.
As it had several times before, the Marshall University Forensic Science Center was aiding law enforcement, this time by providing the facilities for the state police's Digital Forensics Unit.
Now, the school is poised to put an even bigger focus on computer crime, after U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd announced that he had appropriated $700,000 for the center's computer security training initiative.
"Computer crime is a growing danger, which jeopardizes the financial security of millions of Americans," Byrd said in a written statement. "Marshall's Forensic Science Center is working to train law enforcement officers and security personnel to solve crimes using electronic evidence. The program is a valuable resource for crime-fighting efforts nationwide."
Byrd added funding for the center to the Fiscal Year 2006 Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations bill. Those funds were released by the Department of Justice this week.
The school's forensics lab provides corporations and state and local law enforcement space for their work with digital evidence.
Terry Fenger, director of the Marshall forensic center, said that the school also provides their experts to work with the state in cases involving computer forensics.
"The funding will be used for research and establishing the infrastructure to allow computer forensic investigation and for training of the new generation of computer forensic analysts," Fenger said.
The center also trains specialists to fight internet fraud, terrorist threats, identity theft, child pornography, drug transactions and corporate espionage.
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