VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach Police have added a powerful new partner to their investigative team—Chip, a yellow Labrador retriever with a rare and lifesaving skill set.

Chip is part of a specialized Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) unit, trained to sniff out hidden electronic devices that may contain crucial evidence in cases involving child sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and other digital crimes.

While finding a stray SD card or a USB drive might seem insignificant, investigators say it can be the key to uncovering hidden child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Offenders often stash evidence in hard-to-spot places—inside toys, under furniture, or tucked into everyday household items.

Chip and other ESD K9s are trained to detect the chemical compounds found in electronic

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