Can that person be rehabilitated?

ONN's Denise Alex spoke with a criminologist for more insight into the crime and the perpetrators.

The internet has been called the devil's playground. It's also where people look, enjoy and even trade child pornography.

Dr. Keith Durkin, a sociology professor at Ohio Northern University, studies internet crimes involving children.

"These people share their files online like people share pictures, movies, and music and they can use the same file sharing software to track them. That's one of the most disturbing parts about these individuals. They think their behavior is completely normal," said Durkin.

This week authorities arrested a Hilliard Middle School teacher for allegedly possessing nearly 200,000 images of child pornography.

43-year-old Michael Highman is a gym teacher, a basketball coach, a husband and father with two daughters.

Dr. Durkin said experts really can't identify a particular kind of person who looks at child pornography.

Stereotypically, they are middle aged white males, but he said male, female, young or old; just about anyone nowadays is logging on to check it out.

"I'm very concerned about them acting on it. In court they'll say they are only pictures. You know, that's the common line. But the fact of the matter is that 90 percent of child molesters have child pornography in their possession," said Durkin.

One of those, Daniel Keck, the 43-year-old engineer from Marietta is expected to face nearly 100 years in prison when sentenced Thursday morning on child pornography and other sex crimes involving kids. 

Dr. Durkin said better technology helps police close in on child pornography, but that it's an ongoing problem that even jail time can't correct.

"I've seen no compelling information about rehabilitating offenders of this nature," said Durkin.

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