172536_CPCA_2020_Spring Magazine - Final | Page 48

Fighting Crime
One Device
At A Time
As part of an Internet Crimes Against Children task force, a Sacramento County Sheriff ’s Department
Detective received information about a Gmail account receiving child pornography. She wrote
warrants and was able to identify the suspect and then obtain his electronic
devices. A forensic search of the devices produced no images of
child pornography. During an interview with the suspect, the Detective
learned the suspect had recently sold his cellular phone at an ecoATM
kiosk. The Detective reached out to the ecoATM law enforcement assistance
team and learned that she could obtain the phone with just a
request--no warrant or subpoena needed.
After receiving the phone, an examination revealed numerous
internet search history of terms and links consistent with
links to child pornography with children as young as two
years old. A forensic examiner located a PDF converter app in the
suspect’s cellphone which lead to finding thousands of images of
Child Pornography in PDF files that the suspect had hidden. Additionally,
there had been a previous child abuse case filed against the
suspect for taking photographs of his girlfriend’s minor daughter.
There was a text message thread found on the cellphone from the
suspect to the minor that were sexually explicit and corroborated
the victim’s statement. The suspect eventually plead no contest
to child molestation and child pornography and was sentenced to
eight years in State prison. The detective said had she not obtained
the suspect’s cellphone from ecoATM, they would not have been
able to get a conviction in the case.
48 CALIFORNIA POLICE CHIEF | www.californiapolicechiefs.org