Online Investigations
What information is available in the online environment? Did you identify a potential suspect? Are there databases that you can use to find information about potential targets of the investigation? Is it possible to conduct a sting operation using online resources? These are valid questions, and in most cases, the answer to these questions will be yes. When you ask someone to find information about an individual, one of the first searches will be conducted via Google. Google will give you a lot of information that may or may not be pertinent to the individual who is the search’s target. A Google search will provide you with many different threads that may need to be followed but can also lead you down a rabbit hole that may not provide any helpful information.
Law enforcement and private organizations are conducting online investigations as we speak. Law enforcement is looking for criminal activity, such as adults looking to sexually exploit children...