County Attorney’s Office press release
The Henderson County Attorney’s Office purchased and presented to Henderson County Sheriff’s Sex Crimes Investigator, Nick Webb, a new iPad. The iPad will be dedicated and used in the investigation of crimes against children in the county.
With the increased popularity of social networking and use of the Internet, law enforcement investigators timely access to social media content has become paramount in solving and prosecuting cases. According to statewide statistics, 84 percent of rural Texas investigations involve some sort of online investigations. Investigator’s use social networking sites to gather corroborating evidence, locate or monitor a person of interests whereabouts, view statements made by suspects or by victims, review associates affiliated with persons of interests, use the information found to anticipate and prevent future crimes, and also use information obtained from social media as probable cause to obtain search warrants. Statistics also show that when challenged, warrants based upon social media are generally upheld. Texas courts have generally held that a person has no expectation or right to privacy over things that are transmitted over the internet and therefore, what can be obtained by law enforcement is generally admissible as evidence in criminal proceedings.
With respect to the County Attorney’s Office, investigators often gather and use evidence in misdemeanor crimes such as sexual assaults committed by juveniles, as well misdemeanor crimes which are committed by both adults and juveniles such as: stalking, harassment, threats, and the electronic transmission Continue reading “County Attorney purchases iPad for Sheriff’s Office”
