to suck it up and keep quiet about a mishandled CEOP investigation?

[Deedingle]

CEOP have had reason to send local sex offender unit police here with a search warrant.

It’s become very clear that they have no intent to carry out the investigation CEOP sent them for, and have gone for something random and much easier (us) that will make it look like they have instead. (using up a precious forensic outsource budget on from their POV random likelihood of success as well.)

It feels like it's a very serious allegation to make, and I’ve been trying to convince myself that somehow I haven’t seen what I’ve seen happen, that I’m mistaken or confused, but it’s there all day, every day, and most of the night, and it isn’t getting better and won’t go away. I feel so sick.
I know what I’ve seen and I know what it means, I just want to be wrong.

The police know that while he’d be difficult to catch, a potential paedophile who if it’s who we think, will have future access to vulnerable children, is left undetected. Paperwork will make it appear an investigation took place and uncovered no wrong doing.

But there hasn’t been anything you could honestly call a proper investigation into the crime they say was reported, or use of warrant. (they didn’t bother searching even letting us the new ‘suspects’ choose/tell them what computers and phones to take for investigation or not, which I’m grateful for but shocked at.)

I’m left wondering how many other situations similar to this are happening. My faith in modern CP which I thought had got better, is completely shattered.

We're not criminals but I’m so scared that if we make a fuss they might claim to find something to shut us up, or make our lives even more miserable.

Sucking it up and keeping schtum seems safest, but I’m sick to my stomach and don’t know which way to turn. Would you put protecting your family first, or speak out?

Sorry everyone, I thought I'd been clear but clearly I haven't. CEOP think local police are investigating for them, but reality is local force aren't bothering to try and find the culprit and link up whatever evidence they have, and instead have randomly targeted us, told us to say which computers and phones are ours, let us choose what should go for forensic, and not bothered with anyone else's, and aren't looking for the person who we've named.
I know that makes little logical sense but it is what's happened.

God OP what a shit situation.

Why are you at risk by informing CEOP?

Purple, Drbonnie pretty much. but t isn't the relative who holds the IP address they should be investigating, it's (almost certainly) a short term tenant, and the other person is my vulnerable and gutted ds.

Yours is the most puzzling thread I've ever read. The anagrams I now understand but I can't get my head around the sentences. What happened?

drbonnie I'm afraid to tell one lot of police (CEOP) about the other lot of police. (local) I'm very, very, afraid.

Why are you afraid?

You're clearly upset and understandably. However, if someone in the building you live in has been acting illegally online and it is impossible to tell who it is and what computer it's on, then of course they have to check all the devices in the house. They have enough evidence to make a search reasonable imo. But you can check www.gov.uk/government/publications/pace-code-b-2013 if you're not sure they followed all the correct procedures. If there is nothing on your computers then I am absolutely sure you'll be fine, and may have helped a dangerous person to be caught.

Then you need a police ombudsman before you make that report to CEOP, to protect you.

If you're in an HMO, I guess that means you're renting, and can move? Are you near a police service boundary?

Stitch I'm so sorry. I don't mean to be confusing. I've been holding it all in for a long time, and tried to find ways of saying what happened without making too many direct allegations about how badly they've carried out there duty and turned it from what they were sent to do by CEOP (if I understand the procedure) to doing something much easier instead, that makes it look like they've investigated properly when really they haven't.

I think I get it. Can you re-report and hopefully trigger another better investigation?

I don't have a clue what you are talking about even with the explanations. Could you be clearer please and then perhaps people will understand and give advice. It sounds extremely serious whatever it is.

Theycallmemellowyellowjello, the whole point is they're NOT checking all the computers in the house, and they surely should be.

They say they have linkable evidence, so IF they examined ALL the computers and phones they could theoretically find the right person and arrest them. We've named the most likely (though it's circumstantial) but that person has left taking phone and laptop with them.

They aren't examining all or even the majority, of the computers and phones, and even let us choose which ones to say where ours and send for examination! (this makes no sense if they think we did it)
This is why I'm in a state about it all. If they were doing it to everyone that would be what SHOULD happen. This isn't and it feels terribly wrong.

Okay, so if I understand this correctly you live in a shared house with one IP address. Somebody has been using that IP address to access child pornography.

As far as I understand it the police will not be able to know which device accessed it via that IP. As a result they will need to check the devices of anybody they are aware uses that IP in order to find out who it is. They do not know it's not you. They have to check. This is not necessarily to persecute you, it may well be that they know exactly who did it but he is blaming other tenants so they need to investigate to rule it out.

It might not be pleasant, it might be intrusive, but isn't it worth it if it means someone who's committed such a horrible crime can be banged to rights?

You might share the same IP, but if they can examine your devices just to confirm it wasn't you that accessed these things you'd be performing a great public service in helping bring this person to justice.

I think you should go back to the police in absolute secrecy and tell them your evidence and what you know and also why you are afraid. They can protect you, but if necessary you might have to leave where you are living. However I think you need to speak out in this situation even if it means you have to get away.

So maybe they've actually done some prior investigation and know who was resident in the house when the offences occurred? So they know there are residents who can be ruled out?

And you have no way of knowing they're not investigating the person you claim did it.

FWIW I know myself and my DH would never, ever access such things. If for any reason I was asked to hand over any of our equipment I would do it without a second thought.

Aermingers yes to all of the first two paragraphs apart from last line.

they are NOT checking everyone's devices and should be. THAT's what CEOP THINK they're doing and sent them to do.

They aren't trying to bring that person to justice. They aren't trying to find out who amongst us it is. That's what's breaking me up.

Aermingers they arrived not expecting it to be multiple occupation, expecting only the IP address holder to live there, and so to arrest him as obviously the person.

When they found it was multiple occupancy they asked us who lived there and stopped writing after the main batch of names when we named the most likely person. (not IP address holder)

Once they knew that person and their stuff was gone, we tried to give them the rest of the names but they starting questioning us, (2 of 8) and asked us to tell them what was ours and moved the focus to only us.

DeeDingle, you do realise that police investigations aren't carried out on the basis of someone's Mum telling the police someone else did it right?

The police have a warrant, they are under no obligation to disclose details of the investigation to you at the present time.

It could be the case that your so is being accused by the other person and they need to gather evidence this is not the case. Or they could have ruled out other tenants because they've established that they weren't there at the time.

I appreciate this is distressing, but they can't let a paedophiles get away just because you find this upsetting.

Op how do you know so much about what CEOP think?

What are you being investigated for?

I'm fine about handing over our equipment, I'm shocked they took nothing we SAID we hadn't used recently. They surely shouldn't just believe us?

I'm shocked, but grateful, they didn't search our home and relied on us to tell them what we have even though they had a search warrant. (we also genuinely forgot some things!)

I'm very shocked they didn't want to take everyone's equipment. They told us they had nothing that connected us in particular when we asked about this.

I'm shocked at what they told us about the forensic budget and why if that's the case they would be so random about what they did and didn't take.

Most of all I'm shocked that rightly or wrongly I believe they've done this to generate a report that makes it look like they've taken everyone's stuff and nothings come up so CEOP will have faced a dead end believing the right stuff was examined..

Okay DeeDingle, that makes a lot more sense. You are concerned that they have not investigated thoroughly enough to rule you out and that there could potentially be an issue in future if anybody who has committed these offences can blame it on DS because they have not covered all bases to make sure you are ruled out properly with no question?

If that is what you are asking then yes, I agree with you entirely. Contact CEOP and tell them that you were not asked to hand over everything and that you were allowed to select which items were taken for examination.

You didn't explain it very well, but if it is as I suggest above then you are actually supporting the investigation as well as ensuring you and DS are ruled out and protected. YANBU.

I'm obviously making no sense! All I know is what the police have told us.

Can people see the posts saying they ARENT looking at everyone elses equipment too, and they're SUPPOSED to be, according to what they've said to us.

They have told us they came expecting only the IP holder so assumed that would be the person of interest. They now have NO interest in the IP holder because it's multiple occupancy. (they should have some interest in everyone I'd have thought)
They ought to NOW be interested in everyone. They have spoken to no one else. We were the first and only if they are telling us the truth, and we have now become the ONLY target of the investigation.

OP, you can't possibly know all the ins and outs of the police investigation. You only know what some officers have told you, and they will have divulged that information for a reason.

Your thread is very confusing but it seems you think the local force aren't doing CEOP's job properly for them. I would say that I suspect CEOP will be overseeing the job as they see fit.

Aermingers I'm really sorry I'm not making sense, I've been in a mess trying to know how to ask for advice for weeks, it's such a horrible subject. Thank you for sticking with trying to make sense of what I'm saying.

TBH I'm not so worried about other residents trying to blame DS as his equipment will come back clean and the police clearly don't care about examining everything of his, let alone any interest in finding the real culprit, so the actual culprit won't get accused or need to blame anyone else. CEOP will never know it wasn't followed up properly.

I'm deeply bothered that I feel we're being used to cover up local police not doing what CEOP think they're doing.

I only know they are doing this for CEOP because they said so. We don't know what case it relates to, how big or small it is, only an idea of the level of seriousness. (nasty)
I did try talking to CEOP. I backed off when I felt I wasn't being believed.

Hi Dee, if I'm following this correctly then the police should have seized all equipment from the premises which had at any point connected to that IP address, even if not in current use. They have only taken equipment belonging to you and your DS. They are not following up on the tenant who no longer resides there who you believe is the most likely culprit.
Have I got this right?