Utah's 'porn-sniffing dog' dies after putting numerous offenders behind bars

Weber County Sheriff's Office police service dog "URL," also known as "the porn-sniffing dog", died Dec. 30 after a life of successfully helping to put offenders behind bars. (Weber County Sheriff's Office)

OGDEN — After a life of sniffing out criminals, the retired "porn-sniffing dog" called URL died Dec. 30.

Weber County Sheriff's Office's "URL" was the fourth dog in the country to be certified and trained as an Electronic Storage Detection Canine. Detective Cameron Hartman and the K-9 completed more than 200 search warrants where they obtained digital evidence for cases that most often involved child sexual exploitation material and/or child sexual abuse material.

The list of "remarkable finds" for the canine include a USB drive disguised as a key on a key ring full of keys, a micro-SD card in a closed baby food jar in a small pencil box full of other items that was inside a large cedar chest, an SD card high on a shelf, a cellphone hidden in a book, and even cellphone parts hidden in a wall behind a toilet at the Weber County Jail, according to the sheriff's office.

It's been an unbelievable honor to have been the largest part of your unstable life. I will miss you terribly until I get to see you again. –Detective Cameron Hartman

The almost 8-year-old police dog recovered dozens of critical pieces of digital evidence that otherwise would have been overlooked. URL also provided emotional support to officers working in the stressful realm of child exploitation, and to the children who were scared during search warrants.

URL and his handler, Hartman, worked with many law enforcement agencies in the state, including the Internet Crimes Against Children task force, FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, Department of Homeland Security, the Utah Department of Corrections, Weber Morgan Narcotics Strike Force, and more.

His unique skill set led to the nickname as the "porn-sniffing dog," which helped him to make several appearances in local, national and international news, the sheriff's office said. URL was interviewed by the actor Terry Crews and was featured on the longest-running reality TV show, "Cops," in June 2017; as well as being featured on CNN as the "Pound puppy turned police 'porn dog.'"

URL was living with Hartman after retiring from police service in January last year. URL started out as a "pound puppy," moving between shelters and foster homes and initially being deemed "untrainable, loud, not good on a leash and a biter," according to the Utah Attorney General's Office.

The Central Indiana Labrador Rescue and Adoption organization recognized URL's talents and helped him find his way into being trained as a police service dog. URL was trained by a method that rewards the dog with food, utilizing the dog's natural drive and sense of hunger to help motivate him to locate the desired items.

After coming to Utah in May 2016, Hartman incorporated the K-9's training with every feeding, and conducted training searches multiple times a day in order to keep URL on the job, the sheriff's office said.

URL had a success rate of approximately 22%, resulting in the recovery of dozens of critical pieces of digital evidence that would have otherwise been overlooked and even misplaced by task force agents, the attorney general's office said.

"With heavy hearts, we say goodbye to our partner URL," the agency said in a tribute to the dog that was posted on Facebook Thursday.

Hartman also posted a farewell letter to URL on social media, detailing his gratitude for the K-9 and his sadness at his passing.

"What a privilege it was to serve alongside you," Hartman wrote. "URL, my heart is broken and still filled with so many memories and emotions. I am so lucky to have been able to get to know you and serve the citizens of Utah and its surrounding states with you.

"Thank you, URL, for trusting me, for working so hard, for loving me unconditionally, and for being part of my family. You were always there for me as I benefited from your talent in helping to catch some of the wolves that live among us."

Hartman said, "It's been an unbelievable honor to have been the largest part of your unstable life. I will miss you terribly until I get to see you again."