Dawn raid

[Wtaf12]

I kind of know I am being unreasonable.

My neighbour had a dawn raid happen earlier this week.

I saw loads of police taking away bags of computers and stuff like that. It’s a family and now I’m feeling really uncomfortable about talking to them.

Have seen them out and about when I was walking the dogs and don’t know what to say. Do I ignore them or do I speak to them?

My DS is grown up now so I don’t need to worry about him as I do wonder if it is something like heinous like child pictures on computers?

I get what you're saying but you actually have no idea why they were raided and whether they are innocent or guilty. I would just maintain good manners. If it turns out he is a peadophile I think it's fair to let manners slip at this point!

Would you normally speak to them?
Maybe it’s financial rather than child porn? I imagine there are lots of reasons for police to take computers, although it’s natural to assume porn.
I’d like to think I would act as if innocent until proven guilty but, honestly? I just don’t know what I’d do in this situation.

I wouldn't jump straight to porn. Could just as easily fraud or some sort of scamming or embezzlement. Point is you just don't know and I'm sure they realise half the street will already be judging them even though nobody actually knows.

They seize computers for more offences that just sexual ones. They haven’t been convicted of anything, so if i usually spoke to them i would continue to do so

Thanks all. I spiralled a bit and didn’t consider other reasons. I don’t know them well but they are a well respected family. Seems so out character for them to have done anything illegal to be honest. Only ever a nod or morning type greeting.

I’ll continue with that course of action until if / when anything else is heard

This happened twice in our village. The first time it was some kind of complex corporate fraud & actually the man wasn't charged. The second time (although no computers were removed) it was an older gentleman & the police withdrew his gun license on medical grounds & as he did not agree & did not remove the firearm there was a dramatic dawn raid by armed police & a helicopter. Both incidents rattled the neighbors but actually neither were a risk.

Can understand your anxiety & accessing images could be a possibility but definitely don't jump to conclusions. Whatever it is if the police are involved then the risks going forwards are much lower. It's the ones who aren't yet suspects that are most dangerous if that makes sense.

Can we stop calling child abuse images child porn. It's not porn ffs.

Highly likely to be something like fraud, money laundering etc. And not necessarily guilty so I would carry on as normal.

Innocent until proven guilty...

Don't presume.

Can we stop telling people what to say. It's not how forums work ffs.

Totally agree. Porn implies consent (although fully aware this is not always the case). It is abuse and that is in no way porn

Thanks that’s good to know. Just has made me feel really weird

Maybe they were inciting/organising riots and devices taken for evidence

There's no such thing as child porn. Is is child sexual abuse images and videos

It could be a million things, doesn't necessarily mean they've done anything wrong either. They raid houses all the time where people haven't done anything wrong but are slightly connected to someone who might've done. They have to cover all bases. It's very unlikely to be anything CA related I would've thought. Please don't treat them any differently in case they are innocent-being raided is bloody horrible and they probably know exactly what the neighbours are thinking.

Normally I'd agree with it being annoying when people correct how others talk but I do think it's very wrong to refer to child sex abuse to child porn. The children aren't acting as a job to perform sexual acts, they are being abused and filmed.

My house had a dawn raid when I was about 15. I was away at my grandparents but when I got back my dad and step mum took my sister and me into the lounge for a talk. Apparently my step brother (same age as me) had been getting porn on his computer. He then started getting sent dodgier and dodgier stuff but after the investigation it was found that he hadn't received anything illegal. I think the group who were sending him stuff were into illegal porn but thankfully my step brother stopped it before they sent him anything like that.
Not everyone who has a dawn time raid is guilty of nefarious actions. My poor dad was worried that his professional reputation would be harmed if people gossiped about what happened. Thankfully it didn't get leaked!