My husband was on their computer tonight and said that the photos ARE NOT ON THEIR COMPUTER. My BIL discovered that another user was on their wireless network, dug around to figure out what was going on and found these folders. The folders and their contents ARE STILL ON THE HARD DRIVE OF THE NEIGHBOR’S COMPUTER.
This was just discovered yesterday evening. My husband used WPA encryption to secure their network so this doesn’t happen again. He DID NOT delete the files themselves, just disabled any access these neighbors have to my BIL’s network.
Okay. But as someone has already noted, the photos got to your neighbor's computer VIA your BIL's internet connection. If/when a law enforcement agency tracks down the digital path from the kiddie-porn to your neighbor's computer VIA YOUR BIL'S COMPUTER, what that law enforcement agency will discover is that the porn pictures were "ordered" and "received" via YOUR BIL'S INTERNET ACCOUNT.
The law enforcement agency won't see that the porn is stored on your neighbor's computer. They'll come knocking on your BIL's door.
Sure, he might convince them of the truth. If they're disposed to listening.
Far better for him to broach the whole thing with the local DA or Feds in the company of a competent defense attorney.
If your BIL viewed any of the pictures on his computer, they ARE on his computer in some TEMP files. They can be retrieved by a forensic computer specialist.
Unfortunately, everyone here is ignoring a more likely potential source of these pictures. I had a client (a professional office) who called me because their receptionist's computer's operation had slowed to a dull crawl. When I investigated I discovered the computer had been hijacked and converted to a spambot sending out kiddie porn spam. The owner and the receptionist were clueless... and innocent! Further investigation found that the hijacking occurred when the receptionist opened an email she thought came from a client (it was actually had the return email address of a legit client) and the system because infected by a worm that downloaded the kiddie porn and the converted the computer into a spambot sending out the spam using email addresses found in the address book... just as the patient's computer had been hijacked.
Perhaps, the neighbor is as innocent as your Brother-in-law... and merely the victim of a virus or trojan program.
There was a case where a fellow took his computer in to have it repaired because it was slow... and the repair shop found and reported kiddie porn that the system was sending out. The computer was being used as a server for a commercial kiddie porn web site. The owner was arrested and tried. It was TWO YEARS LATER before a forensic computer specialist proved that the porn had been placed on his computer by a spambot, converting his computer into a spambot server as well, an d that the owner was totally unaware of its existence on his computer. By that time, the guy's marriage, business, and life were in shambles. His wife divorced the "pervert," took the house and kids, had his business assets siezed, and he was forced to declare bankruptcy due to huge legal defense fees.
Unfortunately, most police departments are not well versed in how to handle this problem... and are likely to assume the owner is the criminal.
You actually said much of that in your opening post- see my other post for a response. In which case they may not need to consult a lawyer first but many attorneys do provide free/cheap consultations so it might be prudent to take that step, but it seems to me your family doesn’t have much to worry about, but this does need to be taken to the authorities asap.
But why in the name of God did he do anything to the connection?
The very first thing he should have done was to call the police, so that they could come over and view the files and then get the appropriate warrant to arrest this SOB.
Now you've alerted him to the possibility that he's been outed, so he can destroy his harddrive if necessary.
YOU NEED TO CATCH THIS SOB AND PUT HIM AWAY.
What in Hades is wrong with you people?!?