There’s some mighty good advice on this board tonight. But I figure, after you download Killdisk, repartition Windows, get two new hard drives, clone your old hard drive, secure your WIFI, erase all digital tracks, enable WEP security, burn the files to a CD-ROM, turn off SSID, use WPA encryption, employ MAC address filtering, secure erase with multiple overwrites, hire a forensic computer specialist and retain an attorney it should run you about 63,000 dollars. It might be easier to just kill your brother in law.
Cute post — but not one bit funny at all. They are all in huge trouble. Huge. And it’s way too late to unring the bell. The IP is obligated to call law enforcement, and they have all tampered with evidence, destroyed evidence, and broken a ton of sex offender laws so far, if she is actually telling us everything. If they go next door and say one word to who they THINK is responsible, everything will just escalate.
They will likely (my prediction) spend $100,000 per couple, and the men will go to prison for 5-10 years each easily (WITH a plea bargain, which they will agree to, because they will be threatened with 20 years to life).
Good attorney - bad attorney — makes no difference. Their life will never be the same. Guarantee it.
These stupid laws need to change NOW. No one understands — until it happens to you, or someone you know and love.
Plus a fair amount of bad advice and paranoia. WEP encryption hasn't been secure since at least 2001. MAC address filtering does not provide any real security. Burning files to a CD-ROM only proves that you wanted to have a copy of the porn, you can't just bring it to the cops and say, "Yo, Mr. Cop, here's the evidence, go arrest my neighbor." If the BIL has not been charged with a crime then it is entirely legal for him to securely delete whatever he wants from his own computer.
I will say that Killdisk is a fine program. I doubt that it is necessary here, but if the BIL is utterly terrified of being prosecuted for his non-crime, then he should consider using Killdisk and then physically destroying the drive. For the latter, a drill press or even a hand drill can do a nice job. You just repeatedly drill through the drive platters. More holes, less data.
It might be easier to just kill your brother in law.
Don't forget to make a video for YouTube.