Assignment: Choices in the Judicial System

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Criminal Justice Case Studies: Criminal Courts and Judicial Process, Week 2

The Case of the Seized Computer Brian is a 32-year-old male who lives with a roommate in a two-bedroom house rented from Clark Real Estate. The house is located next door to a daycare for children who range in age from 2 to 5 years old. Brian works at a video game store at the local shopping mall. His roommate works third shift at a nearby bread factory. During Brian’s off time—he works weekends and has two weekdays off—he volunteers at the daycare. The daycare conducted a background check on Brian before allowing him to volunteer, which he passed due to having no arrest record. Brian, an avid video game player, also spends a great deal of time on his computer playing games and surfing the internet. Officer Yoder was recently assigned to the ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) Task Force, and when he returns from training, he uses his newly acquired skills to search out and identify individuals involved in the acquisition and dissemination of child pornography. Officer Yoder’s investigations lead him to Brian, who has been receiving and sharing thousands of images of children who are being sexually exploited. The images are being shared in multiple states and in several foreign countries. Officer Yoder obtains a search warrant for Brian’s residence and computer system. The computer is seized, and Brian is detained for questioning. Brian’s roommate is also detained for questioning, although he claims to have no knowledge of Brian’s actions. The roommate does have a prior conviction for a DUI, but he has been following his probation guidelines well in attempt to get back on track. During Brian’s interview, he confesses to taking nude pictures of the children at the daycare and uploading them to various internet groups with which he is associated.