Very few people have the mental fortitude to handle the job Brian Martin has carried out since 2006.

Retiring this spring after 39 total years on the job, Martin handles the kind of crime that typically does not pass the Cheerios test. A way we determine what stories go on the front page, the Cheerios test is simple — if a story is too graphic to eat morning Cheerios while reading, it is not frontpage material.

I sat down with Martin, a 17-year member of the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force, a few weeks ago, which was a few weeks after his May 2 retirement party at Route 76 Pool Hall. More than 70 people showed up to wish Martin a happy retirement, and I don’t know a man right now who deserves it more.

This story — which does pass the Cheerios test — has been on hold for a couple of weeks. You may recall many other local stories that took precedent.

Covering crime in Barry County as a community newspaper has many challenges, especially in Martin’s field of chasing down child predators and child pornography creators and distributors.

When I go to report such a story, I start by obtaining the probable cause statement, essentially the police’s narrative of the crime committed and recommended charges.

Some crime stories are easy to write, for example, “This person stole these items from this place and was caught with the stolen items and drugs after a traffic stop.”

Others, not so much, like, “This person did unspeakable, graphics acts to an innocent child who will have to reconcile that abuse for the rest of their lives.”

It’s heavy, and I have not always gotten it right. Truth is, around here, I can remove victims’ names, ages, genders and every other identifiable factor, and someone will still know who they are.

And, those kinds of crimes are much more common than you may think. Martin said in his 17 years, cases increased from 200 a year to 700 last year. Over that period, his office has done everything from arrest individuals distributing illegal photos to taking down international criminals actively selling children.

Locally, Martin was the investigator in the Matthew Casas case, putting him in prison for 25 years after seizing photos, some self-made, from a smart TV and personal devices.

Along with those types of cases, Martin was part of some “To Catch a Predator”-style stings, labeling those criminals as some of the worst of the worst.

Partitioning all the terrible images and criminal actions, one of Martin’s other major goals was education — how do you keep your kids away from these people?

Over the years, I have interviewed him a few times on the topic. The advice has changed little, usually hinging on keeping close watch on children’s devices and apps they are using.

This time, and maybe it’s because he is retired, the language ramped up.

“If you give a kid carte blanche access to the internet with no supervision, you may as well give them a loaded .38, because the outcome is the same,” he said.

The aftermath of abuse is lifelong, and it is up to parents to make sure their children’s technology usage is appropriate and safe. There is too much at stake to do otherwise.

As I bid Martin goodbye, I’d like to thank him and the Southwest Missouri Cybercrimes Task Force for all their work in the area thus far. Those who know him know Martin enjoys a good joke and witty banter, and to maintain a positive outlook on the world after seeing its armpit for so long is more than admirable.

I hope there is another “Brian Martin” to take his place at the Tack Force, though I am not certain any other could do the job as much justice.

Congrats on a great career, Brian! We thank you for your commitment and your outstanding efforts.

Kyle Troutman has served as the editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014. In 2017, he was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers, and in 2022, he won a Golden Dozen Award from ISWINE. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com.