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Legal matters

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Original poster

Dealing with the police - help

15 replies

TheCopyist · 20/11/2017 11:32

I'm looking for some advice/guidance here. 10 days ago 3 detectives turned up at my house looking for my DS (he's 17 although they seemed to think he was 18). They wouldn't give me much detail beyond wanting to speak to him 'about something sent from his computer'. He was at college and so I was told they would try and send someone later that evening (he gets back later). Anyway long story short despite having contacted the officer he still hasn't been spoken too. I have to keep chasing it as they say they will be in touch but don't return calls. When I have spoken to them they say 'we will need to speak to him' like we're being the obstructive ones. I have contacted a solicitor to see if they could get any further but they couldn't get a time fixed.
An added complication (potentially) is that he will turn 18 in a couple of weeks. It's really frustrating as we don't really know what he has done beyond the officer saying 'we think he has something on his computer that he shouldn't have'.
Has anyone had a similar experience?

OP posts:

Amber0685 · 20/11/2017 12:38

No advice really except to get their cards, log all calls made. I can understand your concern about him turning 18, I guess if something was sent from his computer it would be date stamped. Someone will come along with more knowledge, I would try to set a time for your son to meet them. Have you asked your son what it could be about?

Original poster

TheCopyist · 20/11/2017 12:57

He claims to know nothing about it and he's not showing any signs of being particularly worried about anything. I'd just like to know what we're dealing with

OP posts:

Amber0685 · 20/11/2017 13:51

It sounds very strange. Have you tried to contact them today?

PersianCatLady · 28/11/2017 13:55

17 is the age where a child no longer needs an adult to be present when the police question them.

Don't worry about him turning 18.

SJM72 · 28/11/2017 23:29

If they do want to question him then I would make sure that it happens at a police station and not in your home. He will have the right to free legal represenation during interview at a police station.

Mc180768 · 28/11/2017 23:44

Knowing the Police, if he is close to being 18, they will leave until then. Rules for 17-year old in Police Stations are different to minors (16 & unders)

PersianCatLady · 28/11/2017 23:45

Why would they leave it until age 18?

worridmum · 29/11/2017 00:49

because as soon as they turn 18 parents can be blocked from being involved completely, under 16 they can do very little to stop parents being there at 17 they can do more stuff but at 18 they can completely stop you being involved.

Definitelydrowningthistime · 29/11/2017 00:57

17 year olds will have an appropriate adult present for an interview. Since they've told you it's something on his computer, they can't be that concerned as he now has the opportunity to delete whatever it may be. You might be better off going to the police station as you can't be ignored that way.

Battleax · 29/11/2017 01:08

Drum it into him to say nothing at all other than to request legal representation and then nothing more until he's got a solicitor there. Make sure he understands the importance. No matter how nice they are, or otherwise.

They might try to pick him up at any known place at any time.

Don't let him make any silly attempts to tamper with evidence.

Did they take the computer?

Battleax · 29/11/2017 01:10

BTW, from that form of words, I'd be guessing at malicious communication, probably social media, maybe email.

Steel yourself for some

Battleax · 29/11/2017 01:12

Sorry, butter fingers. Steel yourself for something unpleasant that might have become normalised in his peer group.

LineysRunner · 29/11/2017 01:17

Lord Justice Judge Moses ensured that the police must treat 17 year olds as children if they are being questioned - back in 2013

www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/apr/25/police-17-custody-children-court

Original poster

TheCopyist · 29/11/2017 11:21

Thank you. He has spoken to them now. With a solicitor. It relates to 'something' he uploaded to a cloud storage app. There's a question around whether someone in it was under 18. It 'sounds' like it's a case where they will end up speaking to him about taking care about the types of sites he accesses. That is making sure everyone in any porn is over 18. But it can take months apparently. They have his phone and he's given them access to his Dropbox account -although it's been disabled. The police don't actually have the content which is bizarre.

Meanwhile he's bracing himself for my feminist lecture on pornography.

OP posts:

LineysRunner · 29/11/2017 12:37

Read the thread on here about not accepting a caution.

Yy to the bollocking, though.

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