State and federal investigators have a lot of high-tech tools at their disposal when searching for evidence of child pornography and related sex crimes. In the recent arrest of an Indiana man on child pornography charges, the FBI used one very low-tech tool: a so-called electronic detection canine.
According to news reports, the Indiana man was arrested in July and charged with transportation of child pornography. Police said he had already served time for a conviction on child molestation charges and was registered as a violent sex offender. The new arrest came about after he allegedly wrote and attempted to publish a book encouraging children to play naked with adults.
The FBI used the electronic detection dog in a search of the man’s home. An agent told reporters that just as some dogs are trained to smell illegal drugs, this dog was trained to sniff out electronics, and can be effective in finding tiny electronic chips.
Police say an electronic detection canine can even find tiny flash drives that otherwise could remain hidden, and that these dogs can be useful in investigations into child pornography, white-collar crime, and any other case in which electronically stored information is important evidence.
Whether the charge is sexual abuse, securities fraud or something else, all people who are accused of a crime have the right to a defense. It is essential that those who are accused seek out help from the best defense attorneys they can find.
The government has powerful tools for gathering and presenting evidence, and enormous resources for helping prosecutors build a case against a defendant. It’s crucial that the accused get help from a professional who has experience in dealing with evidence and fighting for clients’ rights.