Child abuse cases

[danaeris]

One of the most difficult parts of finding pedophiles is locating the children they are abusing. You can't post pictures of the child -- it impunges their privacy. Sometimes, as a last resort, police departments will do so anyway. I just sent this letter to the Toronto Sex Crimes Unit. I don't know if this will be obvious old hat to them, but based on what I'm reading it certainly seems like it.

Hi,

I was reading one of the many articles about your work, and had an idea which may be of use (or maybe not).

Surely there must be a step between releasing a child's photograph, and keeping it secret. For instance, if there were a network of doctors who had volunteered to receive pictures, it could be under their confidentiality clause. Or elementary school principals. For that matter, facial recognition software is improving all the time; if school pictures were digitized, perhaps the facial recognition software could help out. All it would take is partnership with the schoolboards.

Just some thoughts.

-Danae

Facial recognition software has already been used in police work, albeit to very little effect. That doesn't mean it didn't work, though...
To read more about facial recognition software, check this out

I hope my suggestions give them some ideas, but most of all, I hope that they get ideas somehow, and that the problem is resolved -- not just in this case or that, but in the long term.

I say GRRRR at mean sex offenders! *growls*

Comments

[pyat.livejournal.com]

I heard they'd already shown pictures at a few hundred schools, without result.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Though, let me qualify that by noting that I "heard" it from a radio DJ who was talking about it, not from an actual news person.