Another Field Search Success!

In January 2009, the Marietta (Ohio) Police Department executed a search warrant on the home of a local man suspected of sexually abusing young boys. Reports on this individual dated back to 1994, but the complaints mainly relied on the suspicions of local residents. No hard evidence of abuse had been located.

Recently, a child came forward claiming he had been abused by the suspect, and as a result of a search warrant, the suspect’s computer was seized and sent to the FBI for analysis. The computer contained more than 6,000 images of child pornography. However, the reporting child had claimed that the suspect photographed him, but although the child described the photograph, it was not found upon review of the FBI report.

The FBI had provided a “mirror” image of the suspect’s hard drive to Marietta Det. Troy Hawkins, who located the photograph described by the reporting child using Field Search. The software’s reporting feature provided the file path for the photo to the agent at the FBI. As a result, the FBI field office decided to update its software.

During a three-week trial, the photos found by Field Search were used to corroborate the child’s testimony and to support charges of child pornography. The suspect was found guilty of 29 charges ranging from child pornography to rape to kidnapping. He received a sentence of 70 years in prison.

For more on this go to: mariettatimes.com/page/content.detail/id/518474.html.