This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff has honored a prosecutor and an investigator for their work this year with the Utah Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
Assistant Attorney General Kristine Knowlton was named the 2011 Attorney of the Year, and Special Agent Benjamin Lee was recognized as the A.G.'s 2011 Employee of the Year.
Knowlton, referred to by Shurtleff as a "tough and tender" prosecutor, is considered the A.G.'s "go-to" person when it comes to domestic violence and child abuse cases. Part of her work has included drafting and helping to pass an administrative subpoena law that speeds up help for child victims of sex abuse and abduction, and for victims of stalking.
"Kris Knowlton has a tough exterior — which is important to take on the most serious crimes against children," Shurtleff said in a news release. "But she also has a very tender heart for child victims and her compassion makes her work even harder for justice."
In March, Knowlton was involved in Utah's largest investigation into child pornography. The month-long "Operation FrostyLime Squeeze" ended with 38 arrests and the seizure of a staggering amount of images of children being sexually abused.
Lee — whose main job is to examine computers seized from suspects — was also a key player in the FrostyLime operation.
Known as "Utah's MacGyver," Lee also has built and invented tools to track and catch Internet predators, according to Shurtleff.
He is the co-creator of a computer search tool that allows investigators to find child pornography without damaging the forensic integrity of a computer. He built a $25,000 wireless sniffer for $500 and figured out how to make a $6,000 forensic recovery evidence device for $1,200.
"When you are in the business of stopping Internet predators, saving money can mean saving another child's life," Shurtleff said. "Lee has done an amazing job analyzing evidence and inventing new ways to catch those with the worst intentions for our children."