More In This Category
View Transcript
Trends in the prosecution of sex crimes
involve the same trends that we see in
all criminal prosecutions and that is
technology even the simplest case now
has videos audios text messages
downloading or obtaining access to cell
phone or phone records and in sex cases
that’s very typical we also see uh in
sex cases what’s known as a pretext call
where the law enforcement will have
somebody who is alleged to be a victim
or a complaining witness in a sex case
have that person call the person who’s
under investigation and then that phone
call will be recorded police will be
part of that phone call so the
individual might think you know somebody
who they had a dating relationship with
is calling them and they’ll have a
conversation about a date or a sexual
relationship that they may have had and
the person who’s calling the complaint
any witness will be coached by the
police how to ask questions to this
individual to try and generate
incriminating evidence on that phone
call there’s no requirement that that be
disclosed to the individual we see that
as a trend now they’re called pre-text
calls
Denver, CO criminal defense attorney David Lindsey discusses the trends he sees in the prosecution of CO sex crimes. He explains that one of the prominent trends in the prosecution of sex crimes, like in other criminal cases, is the increasing reliance on technology. Even the simplest cases now involve various forms of digital evidence, such as videos, audios, and text messages. Accessing and analyzing cell phone data and records have become common practices, particularly in sex-related cases.
Another trend specific to sex crime prosecutions is the use of pretext calls. This tactic involves law enforcement instructing an alleged victim or complaining witness to make a recorded phone call to the person under investigation. During the call, which the individual may perceive as a conversation with someone they had a prior relationship with, the complaining witness is guided by the police to ask questions intended to elicit potentially incriminating statements. It’s worth noting that there is no legal requirement for the disclosure of the use of pretext calls to the individual being investigated. This approach is now commonly referred to as pretext calls.
Overall, advancements in technology and the application of tactics like pretext calls have had a significant impact on the prosecution of sex crimes, shaping the way evidence is gathered and presented in court.