Probable Cause Issues in Child Pornography ... - Locatethelaw.org
Probable Cause Issues in Child Pornography ... - Locatethelaw.org
Probable Cause Issues in Child Pornography ... - Locatethelaw.org
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<strong>Probable</strong> <strong>Cause</strong> <strong>Issues</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Child</strong> <strong>Pornography</strong> Cases<br />
By Dennis Nicewander, Assistant State Attorney<br />
Page 41 of 48<br />
Warrant authorized the agents to seize computer equipment "which may<br />
be, or [is] used to visually depict child pornography, child erotica,<br />
<strong>in</strong>formation perta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g to the sexual activity with children or the<br />
distribution, possession, or receipt of child pornography, child erotica or<br />
<strong>in</strong>formation perta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g to an <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> child pornography or child<br />
erotica." It also authorized the seizure of books, magaz<strong>in</strong>es, films, and<br />
videos conta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g images of m<strong>in</strong>ors engaged <strong>in</strong> sexually explicit conduct.<br />
United States v. Upham, 168 F.3d 532, 535 (1st Cir.1999):<br />
A warrant authoriz<strong>in</strong>g search and seizure of defendant's computer and all<br />
disks "was about the narrowest def<strong>in</strong>able search and seizure reasonably<br />
likely to obta<strong>in</strong> the images" and that "a search of a computer and colocated<br />
disks is not <strong>in</strong>herently more <strong>in</strong>trusive than the physical search of<br />
an entire house for a weapon or drugs."<br />
Search warrant authoriz<strong>in</strong>g seizure of any and all computer software and<br />
hardware, computer disks, and disk drives authorized the recovery of<br />
previously deleted <strong>in</strong>formation through use of undelete key and us<strong>in</strong>g<br />
specialized utility program; recovery of deleted images was no different<br />
than decod<strong>in</strong>g a coded message lawfully seized or past<strong>in</strong>g together scraps<br />
of a torn-up ransom note<br />
United States v. Lamb, 945 F.Supp. 441 (N.D.N.Y.1996):<br />
Removal and off-site <strong>in</strong>spection is a reasonable approach for determ<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
whether someth<strong>in</strong>g is contraband when the determ<strong>in</strong>ation cannot be made<br />
on the spot.<br />
U.S. v. Habershaw, 2001 WL 1867803 (D.Mass 2001):<br />
The First Circuit has explicitly held, <strong>in</strong> a case <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g a search for child<br />
pornography images on a computer, that a warrant authoriz<strong>in</strong>g the seizure<br />
and search of the computer and all available disks "was about the<br />
narrowest def<strong>in</strong>able search and seizure reasonably likely to obta<strong>in</strong> the<br />
images."<br />
Nor does Papargiris's search method violate the warrant clause. The<br />
Upham court explicitly upheld a scann<strong>in</strong>g of a entire computer hard drive<br />
for images, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g deleted images, where the seizure of unlawful<br />
images was with<strong>in</strong> the pla<strong>in</strong> language of the warrant.<br />
United States v. Torch, 609 F.2d 1088, 1090 (4th Cir.1979):