NCJ Number
177442
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 68 Issue: 6 Dated: June 1999 Pages: 18-21
Date Published
1999
Length
4 pages
Annotation
After reviewing the types of crimes that can be committed through the Internet, this article discusses what police can do to counter such crime.
Abstract
When computer users connect to the Internet, they link their computers to a server's computer, which, in turn, connects to thousands of other servers. These computers provide the framework of the Internet. The Internet has become a breeding ground for crime, as thieves transfer funds from victims' bank accounts to their own; vandals send computer viruses to destroy computers; and pedophiles exchange child pornography with others or chat with minors, building their trust so they can set up meetings under false pretenses. Like their Federal counterparts, State and local officers can apply their penal codes to prosecute Internet criminals. In some cases there are laws that apply directly to Internet crime; for example, the crime of harassment, in its most basic form, proscribes intentional harassing, annoying, threatening, or alarming behavior, and legislators have provided for increased sentences when the harassment occurs electronically. Although such laws predate the Internet, they can be applied to online harassment. Officers assigned to police the Internet can use traditional law enforcement tools to conduct Internet crime investigations. Search warrants can be an effective means to track down online users. In some States, Internet service providers are obligated by law to turn over records to law enforcement upon request or when they become aware of online criminal activity. Policing the Internet requires special training in the types of crimes committed through the Internet as well as the laws and investigative techniques that apply to various types of Internet crime. Such trained officers can be used in online crime-fighting units. 14 notes