Dilemma: Kiddie Porn Found on Computer

February 9, 2008 | self

[ChocChipCookie]

My sister-in-law and brother-in-law discovered that a neighbor has been tapping into their unsecured wireless internet connection. They've discovered 8-10 folders of photos accessible through their network that do not belong to them. (My BIL discovered this a few days ago when he wasn't able to get an internet connection and went searching for his wireless connection.) Some are general family photos of camping trips, their home, etc., but there are numerous photos that can only be described as all-male kiddie porn. Tonight my husband took steps to delete access to the folders that had been mapped to their computer and secure their network.

My SIL and BIL recognized the people in the non-porn photos as neighbors who live across the street, but they have not yet contacted the police. Because my elderly mother-in-law and an elderly aunt (both in their 70's) live with them and are home alone during the day, they are nervous about their safety should these scumbag neighbors discover who turned them in. I don't believe they know these neighbors by name or have even spoken to them.

Can any Freepers suggest the best course of action here? My in-laws had named their wireless network with their last name, so it's very possible that these neighbors know whose network they have been using. Now that access to the photos has been deleted, can the police still pursue this? Needless to say, my first instinct is to call the police myself, but it's not my family in the situation.

[tacticalogic]

No, you're misreading her post(s). I see you responded to #1, but she has made it crystal clear in other posts that it is not her network, it's her brother-in-law's network, and that NO unwanted files are on his machine. He found the objectionable material on a neighbor's PC.

Then I'll rephrase the point. It's the neighbor's network that has been compromised. If they can get to it, then other people can too. The neighbor has obviously been lax about their network security, so it may not be safe to assume that everything on that HD was put there by them.

[HawaiianGecko]

"Here’s how things happen in the REAL world."

This thread is about ChocChip and her problem and it has nothing to do with her or her brother-in-law downloading anything.  Her BIL simply was poking around on a neighbors network and found CP.
You're vision of law enforcement being porn-crazed-righteous geek bigots is obviously shaded many times over by your friendship with him. No body in prison is really guilty you realize. 
Yeah, I'm sure there are innocent people put behind bars but it's not an epidemic, it's more like shark attacks.  By the way, are you a producer at Fox News or something? 

[adopt4Christ]

Nope — not a reporter or a lurking Dem. Just someone who has enough experience to know the dangers that lurk out there, that some of us want to share with others. No hyperbole here...nothing glamorous — except the truth. Take it, or leave it is fine.

There ARE people that really do appreciate the opportunity to learn from the misfortune of others, instead of having to experience life’s painful lessons for themselves. For those of YOU who see this, I hope it can be helpful.

[visualops]

he’s really NOT as dumb as you want to believe he is

Yes he is and this is just one reason why:
he downloaded a bunch of music to his work laptop

That, in and of itself, is not only dumb, it's unethical even if it was his own ripped CD.

You say this guy is computer savvy? I disagree because if he was he wouldn't have done the above, and he would know what files were on his machine. And if you're just downloading things willy-nilly and not knowing what files are music and what are images, then you are dumb.

And, no, this can't happen to "anyone". It happens to people who do things that put themselves at risk.

I'll say one more thing about your "friend". There aren't a million federal agents out there looking at every network. Just like if you want to hunt deer you go where they are rather than standing on the corner waiting for one, the Feds monitor websites and chat rooms etc that they know are frequented by the pervs. So it stands to reason that either your friend was going places online that he shouldn't have, or he was dumping files on the company server that someone noticed and then they waited for it to happen again to see who was putting the files there. Do you know that it's a common practice for people distributing illegal files, whether it be pr0n or pirated software, music or movies, to upload those files to various servers on the sly so others can download those files after they put out the word where they are? So why was your friend taking pirate music to work on his work laptop?

I’ve been talking to some friends who are now out of prison from very similar situations

You might want to consider changing who you hang out with if several of them have been in prison for child pr0n possession.

[Caipirabob]

I wouldn't get the family involved. I think an anonymous call to the appropriate authorities is best. You wouldn't want your family's name associated with this dirtbag, and explaining the association to the authorities would certainly get them involved.

Anonymous call. Period.

[visualops]

learn from the misfortune of others

After reading your other post, and seeing the truth of the matter- your first few posts on this thread are extremely misleading, bordering on fabrications. By your explanation to Gecko your friend was engaging in extremely risky and careless behavior at best. NOBODY downloads pr0n if they don't want to look at it. Especially given that his downloads were not just on his home machine, but on a thumb drive. I'm sorry, but I don't believe for a minute that someone puts a bunch of files on a thumb drive and doesn't know some of it is child pr0n.

[mad_as_he$$]

I agree. Something is very wrong if it is on THEIR computer. I know of no way to put stuff on a wireless network on someone else’s computer unless they have been granted specific permission and the hub is correctly set-up to allow file sharing among peers.

[gitmo]

The folders reportedly are not on their computer, but are set up as shared folders. Why anyone would do that with porn is beyond me. But the folders are on the neighbors’ computer, just accessible from any network access point.

[gitmo]

How about burning the files to a CD-ROM and mailing it annonymously to the cops with the address of the perps?

No! That would be an illegal possession of kiddie porn.

[gitmo]

ChocChip,

CarrotAndStick gave you the best advise on this thread. You are technically liable for anything that happens on your network, but getting the constabularies on the case ASAP will probably keep you out of hot water. There is a good chance these were downloaded through your network, and you could be under suspicion already. Call the cops tonight.

I think you need to inform the police. Child pornography is a very serious offense, and if not informed ahead of time, they can track where and by whom the files were accessed, including and especially back to you, since you made modifications (deletion of files).

< It will be a big, lengthy mess to get out of, if the cops trace you, before you tell them.

[gitmo]

That was stupid - it sounds like your husband destroyed evidence.

He didn't destroy evidence ... it is still on the neighbors' computer. But he prevented his family from being accidently exposed to something horrible.

[PapaBear3625]

How about talking with legal counsel before doing anything?

Best answer on the thread

NEVER talk to the police about something like this directly. Always have a lawyer interact with them for you. And once the lawyer has started talking to the cops on this, always refer attempts by law enforcement to speak directly to you, back to your lawyer

[cynwoody]

WEP is better than nothing, but WPA2 is much better.

Definitely WPA2, not WEP. TJX found out the hard way ...

TJX Breach Began With WEP Crack

[bpjam]

if its my brother-in-law, I take care of that one myself. quietly with a flashlight and a shovel. I don’t let my sister and my nephew stay in a house with a guy who like naked boys.

I won’t need the police and I won’t be calling them.

[SALChamps03]

It could be placed into shared folders. The neighbor’s computer was part of the network and could do this.

[savedbygrace]

WOW!

[visualops]

That’s why I like paying with cash.

[Balding_Eagle]

deleted pictures are still in your Recycle Bin....

Since they were deleted from a different computer, they probably aren't in the recycle bin on the deleting computer.

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

He didn't destroy evidence ... it is still on the neighbors' computer. But he prevented his family from being accidently exposed to something horrible.

When I wrote that, I was still under the impression that the files were on the BIL's computer.

However, severing the network connection both alerts the pervert that something is wrong [so that he can take action to destroy the files], and covers up the evidence of the crime in the first place.

Now ChocChipCookie's husband has "accidently exposed" his family [and himself] "to something horrible" indeed: Prosecution on charges of conspiracy to distribute and consume child pornography, and conspiracy to withhold evidence from law enforcement officers.

I keep hoping that ChocChipCookie will get on here and announce that they've contacted the FBI, but I'm not hearing anything.

And I can't believe that their first reaction was not to go to the FBI immediately.

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

That was stupid - it sounds like your husband destroyed evidence.

One other technical point about the "destruction" of evidence: The "evidence" is what they can see across the network connection.

If law enforcement can no longer "see" the files, then they have no basis on which to get a warrant to try to find out whose computer the files live on.

Which, of course, assums that someone in ChocChipCookie's family has the gonads to contact the FBI about getting a warrant, which, to date, we haven't seen any evidence of - but, anyway, as things stand right now, the judge has no reason to grant the warrant.