The following information briefly describes a case in which international efforts were required to apprehend a man known for collecting image files of child pornography.
Last December, a Canadian citizen named Loft was provided access to P2P files and folders on a subject named Toad, who was living in the United States. After reviewing Toad’s files and folders, Loft believed the files to be illegal child pornography and reported the matter to the Big City Canadian police department. Canadian Police Officer Doe contacted Loft.
Loft said he had been chatting with Toad for approximately 2 months. Loft said Toad told him that he resided in a small town in California. Officer Doe took over Loft’s file sharing account during which time he received downloads from Toad. Officer Doe asked for assistance from Immigration Customs Enforcement to obtain subscriber information for the Internet protocol (IP) address to confirm Toad’s location.
Officer Doe learned that the subscriber information for IP address 97.123.456.78 was Toad’s and that he lived at 130 Main St., Small Town, California. This information was forwarded to the California Office of the Attorney General.
Detective Jones, with the California State Attorney, acquired a search warrant for 130 Main St., Small Town, California to search for and seize evidence and instrumentalities of distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography.
The following year, detectives with the California State Attorney, special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the California Highway Patrol executed the search warrant at 130 Main St. Investigators seized computers and computer-related media pursuant to the search warrant. Toad was taken into custody and booked into the county jail.
Part II
Write a 350- to 700-word summary on the challenges a forensic investigator would face in court based on this case.