[FireBeyond]

The FBI has, on multiple admitted occasions, ran both honeypots for CP, and on seizing a CP site, continued to run it for multiple months to get more suspects.

I have no issue with the intent, and such things are - in a restricted manner - allowed for, see prostitution stings.

But the fact that they -do- distribute CP is verifiable fact.

[lotharbot]

and the fact that they hold large amounts of CP -- which is the wording the prior post used -- is also verifiable fact.

I'm not even concerned that they hold it. Sometimes it's evidence. Sometimes it can be used to identify and rescue victims. Sometimes it just goes in a database and isn't ever accessed again. Meh.

The continued distribution is concerning, though I understand its purpose, and I presume there are reasonable safeguards in place such that the value in catching new suspects is higher than the harm done to the victims.

[adventured]

The only example I'm aware of, regarding your claim about the FBI operating a site for months, was not in fact the FBI continuing to operate a CP site. In that instance, they kept allowing attempts at signing up to access CP, they did not keep allowing access to the content; the FBI clarified that point when the story came out.

[FireBeyond]

I appreciate the clarification - I was not aware of that detail, which is an important distinction to make.

[EdHominem]

I wasn't referring to the quantity of illegal images, merely that the FBI had burned its credibility by playing with the NSA: http://www.dailydot.com/politics/nsa-dea-fbi-snowden-doj-oig...

At that, one has to assume that they "planted" the image in question because they've proven their willingness to play dirty.