Sector Forensics has an excellent litigation record in providing expert evidence to aid the prosecution or defending clients. This includes high profile cases regularly seen in the media in the following types –
Possession, making and distribution of indecent images
Examinations on behalf of or pertaining to individuals accused of offences involving child abuse images with likely charges of:
Making, distributing, showing or advertising any indecent photograph of a child (section 1 of the Protection of Children Act 1978)
Possession of an indecent photograph of a child (section 160 of the Criminal Justic Act 1988).
Sector Forensics has advised, and been instructed on thousands of cases on behalf of the defence and prosecution relating to criminal investigations of this type.
Grooming, Child Exploitation and Enticement
Examinations on behalf of or pertaining to individuals accused of offences involving child abuse with likely charges of:
Causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity (section 10 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003), or engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child (section 11 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
Sector Forensics has advised, and been instructed on thousands of cases on behalf of the defence and prosecution relating to criminal investigations of this type.
Malicious Communications and Trolling
Examinations on behalf of or pertaining to individuals accused of offences relating to the abuse of digital media e.g. Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp pertaining to the following legislation:
Improper use of public electronic communications network (section 127 of the Communications Act 2003)(1) A person is guilty of an offence if he-
(a) sends by means of a public electronic communications network a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character; or
(b) causes any such message or matter to be so sent
(2) A person is guilty of an offence if, for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to another, he:
(a) send by means of public electronic communications network, a message that he knows to be false,
(b) causes such a message to be sent; or
(c) persistently makes use of a public electronic communications network.
Protection from Harassment Act 1997(1) A person whose course of conduct causes another to fear, on at least two occasions, that violence will be used against him is guilty of an offence if he knows or ought to know what his course of conduct will cause the other so to fear on each of those occasions.
Sector Forensics has advised, and been instructed on a number of high profile cases relating to criminal investigations of this type.
Extreme Pornography
The offence of possession of extreme pornographic images in Part 5, section 63 to 67 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 came into force on 26 January 2009 and is not retrospective.
It is an offence to possess pornographic images that depict acts which threaten a person's life; acts which result in or are likely to result in serious injury to a person's anus, breasts or genitals; bestiality; or necrophilia.
Sector Forensics has advised, and been instructed on hundreds of cases relating to criminal investigations and litigation of this type.
Controlling or Coercive Behavior in an Intimate or Family Relationship
Examinations on behalf of or pertaining to individuals accused of offences involving controlling or coercive behavior which causes someone to fear that violence will be used against them on at least two occasions; or causes them serious alarm or distress which has a substantial adverse effect on their usual day-to-day activities.
The new offence, which does not have retrospective effect, came into force on 29 December 2015.
Sector Forensics will provide evidence in the following areas:
Email examinations
Mobile Phone Examinations
Evidence of abuse over the Internet, digital technology and social media platforms.
Photographs or videos of injuries or incidents captured on digital devices.
Digital documentation/diaries
GPS tracking devices installed on phones, tablets, vehicles etc.
Internet activity
Sector Forensics has advised, and been instructed on cases on behalf of the defence and prosecution relating to criminal investigations of this type.
Sexual offences, trafficking, rape and indecent assault
Provision of evidential data and advice pertaining to offences including:
Trafficking into the UK for sexual exploitation
Prostitution, soliciting, controlling causing or inciting prostitution for gain
Rape, Assault by penetration or sexual assault. Causing sexual activity without consent.
Child sex offences including abuse of position of trust
Preparatory offences including administering a substance with intent
Exposure, voyeurism, intercourse with an animal and necrophilia.
Sector Forensics has advised, and been instructed on hundreds of cases relating to criminal investigations and litigation of this type.
Murder (Homicide), Suicide and Missing Persons
Provision of evidential data and advice pertaining to offences including:
Suicide or Missing Persons - Investigation into persons social media and browsing history to build up a profile of a person(s) interests and recent online activity that may aid the search for the missing person or determine a possible cause of suicide.
Homicide - An analysis of a users activity on a digital device can place them at or away from a scene of crime. Data pertaining to purchase or use of equipment e.g. balaclava purchased from ebay, hire of vehicles, hotels booked, google map routes, satellite navigation devices, searching for news articles prior to being released to the press, communications with other persons can all be used in the prosecution or defence of a suspect.
Sector Forensics has advised, and been instructed on hundreds of cases relating to criminal investigations of this type.
Email and Electronic Document Analysis
Sector Forensics has vast experience of examining emails and documents involved in Civil cases to provide evidence for verification of authenticity.
Handwriting Analysis and Forensic Document Examination
The discipline of forensic document examination becomes pertinent when some aspect of its authorship, origin or authenticity becomes ‘questioned’ or is unknown.
Crucial information can be gleaned from documents to aid with criminal or civil cases ranging from analysis of suicide notes to determine if it was actually written by the deceased or another trying to cover up a crime; to the analysis of a will of a wealthy person, where it is questioned that it had been altered so a relative could receive a large estate.
Our forensic document examiners use sophisticated technology to view visible and invisible marks on a document to extract a wealth of details that may authenticate or provide additional crucial information to your case.
We are called to investigate the authenticity of typed, printed, photocopied, handwritten, and computer generated documents for a wide variety of cases such as:
- Legal documents (including contested wills, contracts, marriage certificates)
Financial and security documents (credit card application forms, mortgage agreements, bank notes)
Forgeries
Counterfeiting
Fraud
Identity theft
Murder
Suicides
Extortion/Ransom notes
Medical malpractice
Stalking
Identity Theft and Identity Fraud
Identity theft is the act of stealing personal details of an innocent victim to create fake identities and impersonate them in order to for example open bank accounts, obtain credit cards, order goods and services.
Sector Forensics has advised, and been instructed on hundreds of cases relating to criminal investigations and litigation of this type.
The Darkweb, Darknet, Tor and Onion Routing
Over the last 24 months Sector Forensics has seen a dramatic increase in the amount of criminal cases where the suspect has used the dark web in nefarious activity.
A majority of the cases used the Tor browser to avoid traffic analysis to access indecent material and to buy and sell firearms, drugs, and other elicit items.
Bitcoins are the main currency used on the Darkweb. Bitcoin works as a 'crypto-currency' allowing transfer of money using cryptography.
Sector Forensics has advised, and been instructed on litigation and cases relating to criminal investigations and litigation of this type.
Drug Trafficking and Misuse of Drugs Act
Digital forensics can aid any investigations pertaining drugs in the following ways:
Internet activity can reveal parcel tracking information, routing information from mapping software, access to darkweb trading sites and cultivating equipment, maintenance and research for example can also provide data of interest.
Social media, text and email communications along with photographs generally provide good evidential data.
Sector Forensics' extensive experience in providing evidential litigation data for cases of this type enables you to build your case up from solid foundations.
We can also –
- Attend case conferences, pleas and directions
- Carry out full examinations of digital system and produce report and statement
- Attend court as advisor to counsel
- Review other people’s work, continuity and procedures, verify findings and see if there is any exculpatory evidence
- Analyse specific areas of a case pertaining to your requirements
Our clients say
In this case the jury found the defendant guilty on all eleven counts
DC Dave Murphy, Metropolitan Police
