Arkansas State Police are discussing more about how evidence from social media groups, when they confront suspected child predators, often does not hold up in court.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Earlier this year, we told you about the potential dangers that law enforcement said social media groups face when they confront suspected child predators and why those cases often do not hold up in court.
You’ve probably seen the groups on social media where they confront adults who they believe are child predators. Some of those videos can rack up thousands or even sometimes millions of views.
Recently, a local social media group posted a video on Facebook of what’s believed to be a recorded conversation with Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones over frustrations with their information on alleged predators going nowhere.
Sergeant Corwin Battle, who is the commander of Internet Crimes Against Children with Arkansas State Police, said internet crimes have been growing by the thousands.
“Starting out, we had very few cyber tips across the state, and now the previous year we had 6,800 tips, and this last year was 12,500,” he explained.
He also explained that the confrontations these social media groups do are dangerous, but also that the evidence these groups give law enforcement can’t stand up in court.
“We can’t go into court with a screenshot of Facebook or Snapchat, whatever platform, we have to back that up with search warrants to the provider to show that a and b equal c, so whenever they just hand over some copies, they can be manipulated. The first thing a defense attorney is going to say is hey these guys aren’t law they used AI to manipulate this, and our case falls apart,” described Battle.
Now, Battle is reminding parents to also check their kids’ devices.
“There’s plenty of videos to show you how to set up parental controls to know which apps they’re on,” Battle said.
Arkansas State Police officials said that anyone who suspects online exploitation involving a child should report directly to law enforcement, who have the tools and resources to build a case.
Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney Will Jones shares, “Investigations must be conducted in a way that protects the integrity of the criminal justice process.”
“These cases are among the most serious we handle, which is why it is so important that we get them right from the beginning and build cases that will withstand scrutiny at trial and be upheld on appeal,” Jones adds.
He continues stating, “Individuals or groups who are not certified law enforcement officers often lack the training, legal safeguards, and evidence handling procedures necessary to ensure fairness, preserve admissible evidence, protect confidential information, and avoid jeopardizing future prosecutions.”
Our priority is to build strong, legally sound cases that hold offenders accountable while protecting the rights guaranteed under the law.
