This presentation will expand the nature of digital victimization beyond that of sexual abuse images, enticement, and sex trafficking. Children are now becoming victims of many of the traditional forms of child maltreatment - physical battering, neglect, sexual abuse, and psychological maltreatment with shockingly digital connections. These cases consequently require a more careful investigation to include the nature of emergency telephone calls that have been orchestrated to seem that a child "just became unresponsive", to thousands of text messages predicting an ultimate fatal child abuse case from starvation. Multiple illustrative cases will be presented, and the presenter will discuss court strategies in the subsequent prosecutions.
Learning Objectives:
Learn the value of digital content which could reveal additional evidence of the intent of a crime to better affirm that harm was not accidental in nature
Describe the necessary content of search warrants to include digital devices that may confirm collusion on the part of offenders.
Review the role of an offender's desire for a victim's humiliation, terrorization, castigation, and suffering often evident on review of digital content and conversations in severe and often fatal child abuse.
Highlight the importance of crime scene contrasts such as extreme disarray in every room of the home except the likely site of a homicide.
Practice obtaining thorough investigation warrants to include digital searches or calls from an alleged offender's cell phone just prior to or after a 911 call.
