MOLINE, Illinois- Police in Moline are warning people not to share a disturbing video circling on Facebook which contains illegal pornography.
Moline Police say they have received several complaints about people receiving a video containing child pornography in their inboxes.
Detective Michael Griffin with the Moline Police Department said on February 5, 2018 that the department started receiving multiple complaints about the message over the weekend.
He says that neither the child or the offender are believed to be from the Moline area. The post has been shared all over the country and has gone viral.
"That's the nature of the internet these days, that it can be all over the world with just a couple of click of a button," Griffin said.
He said the department has received similar complaints about video going viral on the internet involving child abuse before.
In particular post being shared, the message contains the video with instructions to share it with your friends to attempt to identify the male offender. However, Griffin says that sharing the "very graphic" video is against state and federal law.
"Do not share it, it is illegal. Even if your intentions are good and you're attempting to identify the male offender, don't do it." said Griffin.
He says if you have the message sent to you, delete it. Failing to delete the video and having it in your possession is also illegal.
"The main concern is that by sharing it we're re-victimizing the victim," Griffin said. "Just delete it and end the cycle."
The FBI is also investigating this video and trying to determine its original sender. Due to concerns about the spread of the video, WQAD has disabled its Facebook Messenger capabilities to the main page and all talent pages. To share a news tip or contact WQAD, you can still email news@wqad.com.
