File Names Can Help Predict File Content in Child Porn Prosecution–US v. Beatty
18 01 2010By Eric Goldman
United States v. Beatty, 2009 WL 5220643 (W.D. Pa. Dec. 31, 2009)
This is a child porn prosecution. Using Phex P2P software, an undercover investigator accessed the Gnutella network and conducted searches using search terms known to be used by child pornographers. The investigator identified IP address 76.188.64.82 with 11 files with troubling titles such as:
* r@ygold-pedo-13yo brother fucks 11yo sister and sperm inside 61943812.mpg
* (Pthc) 14yo Isabel-(Rape and Fuck) (R@ygold).mpg
* Little young girl hardfucked by me-7 yrs R@ygold illegal pedo sex.mpg
* (Hussyfan) (pthc) (r@ygold ) (babyshivid) Jessica 11y o get fucktgood.mpg
The investigator then matched hash tag fingerprints of the 11 files with child porn files in a database maintained by the Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Subsequently, the investigator connected Beatty to the IP address. Based on this information, the government got a search warrant for Beatty’s home, found hundreds of incriminating files on his home computer, and got incriminating statements in an interview.
Beatty challenged the government’s right to search his home computer. The judge and the litigants agree that the government can legally conduct remote warrantless searches of P2P share directories, but the government apparently argued that they were free by extension to look through Beatty’s entire computer. The judge rejected such a broad position, saying:
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