Rhode Island State Police lose 'great ambassador,' dog that investigated child pornography

Thoreau was supposed to be a guiding eye dog, but found his true calling helping the police investigate child pornography.

Trained to sniff out electronic gadgets, Thoreau joined the Rhode Island State Police in 2014, making Rhode Island only the second state in the country to employ a police dog with such skills. The Golden Labrador retired after conducting some 200 searches in cases related to child exploitation, cyber-crimes or terrorism.

On Friday, the Rhode Island State Police announced on Facebook that Thoreau had died.

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"Thoreau was a great ambassador for RISP," the post says, noting that the dog was featured in reports by "news agencies throughout the world," including the New York Times and appeared on NBC’s "Today" show and the "NBC Nightly News."

"He was the star in many public speaking engagements and was always eager to lay down with a group of students during Internet safety presentations or provide comfort to a victim of a sex crime by simply sitting next to them," the post says.

Assisting the state police with a search warrant for the first time in June 2014, Thoreau sniffed out a thumb drive containing child pornography "hidden four layers deep in a tin box inside a metal cabinet," The Journal reported in a July 2014 story. The discovery led to the police securing an arrested warrant.

In May 2016, Thoreau's handler, Detective Adam J. Houston received a commendation for an investigation that led to the arrest of 10 suspects. Houston completed 26 search warrants during the human-trafficking investigation.

"Rest easy Thoreau," the post says.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI state police mourn loss of dog that investigated child pornography