A pornographic image of a toddler has gone viral in Memphis, Tenn. over the Internet, shocking and deeply upsetting the community.
The picture disturbingly features an adult engaged in a sexual act with a toddler, who is estimated to be around two or three years old.
Toney Armstrong, director of Memphis Police, explained that the department has undertaken an investigation with the FBI.
"I've seen some pretty sick things, you know, during my career," Armstrong said. "And never in my wildest dreams would you ever think that someone would stoop to that level, to do something like that to a 2-year-old child."
The department’s top priority is making sure the toddler is no longer in harm’s way.
News Channel 3 of Memphis received the photo and reported it to the police immediately — prompting the current investigation.
The possession and distribution of child pornography are federal crimes.
“It's illegal to possess those types of pictures,” Armstrong said, “it's illegal to disseminate them, to send them, to share them with other people. You could and can possibly be investigated on the federal level and prosecuted on the federal level."
News Channel 3 urges anyone who receives the offensive image to contact police and delete the photo. If anyone recognizes either the child or adult involved, they should report the information to the authorities immediately.
