When Kevin Ricks admitted last week that he took sexually explicit photographs and videos of boys in his care for more than three decades, U.S. Attorney Neil MacBride called the former Manassas teacher a “dangerous and serial predator who assaulted scores of young men.” The Ricks case is just one of dozens of child pornography cases in local courts. The number of such cases in the D.C. region has risen dramatically in the past decade. That’s the result of both the rapid proliferation of online child pornography and a more vigorous effort to apprehend those who produce, distribute and view it.

“Before the Internet, child pornography had almost been eradicated,” MacBride said.