Chapter 35 – Child Pornography Investigations

35.01 Purpose

  • The objective of this standard operating procedure is to create guidelines for effective responses to reports involving child pornography.

  • This includes possession, transmission, production, and sexual exploitation of children using computers.

35.02 Policy

  • The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office is committed to aggressively investigating all reports of child exploitation and victimization.

  • The agency will respond to public complaints and referrals from law enforcement, businesses, schools, libraries, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and Internet Service Providers.

  • Investigations will address both reactive measures (responding to calls) and proactive measures (undercover operations).

35.03 Procedure

A. General Prohibition

  • All employees are prohibited from producing, receiving, possessing, or distributing child pornography, except for sworn officers during official investigations.

B. Investigations

  1. Upon receiving a complaint about child solicitation or child pornography, a referral will be made to the investigator in charge and their supervisor. If they are unavailable, the responding officer must gather all pertinent information, complete a supplemental report, and send it to the investigator immediately.

  2. If child pornography is found by a peace officer, they must preserve the evidence by preventing any alteration or disturbance. No one should touch the computer or its power sources. The officer should clear the area and notify their supervisor. If the material was discovered during another investigation where a suspect is present, they should not be allowed to remove or damage any potential evidence.

C. Investigator Responsibility

  1. The responding investigator will gather necessary information from the complainant to prioritize and determine the response.

  2. The investigator must inform the reporting party to avoid making any changes to the computer's state.

  3. Investigators will contact the Sex Crimes Division and provide a supplemental report without delay.

  4. Investigations must be overseen by a supervisory figure, particularly when using computer resources.

  5. Undercover operations need to follow prescribed guidelines and require pre-approval from the Chief of Investigations or their designee.

D. Immediate Reporting

  • Any case involving child pornography must be promptly reported to the direct supervisor of the investigating officer.

E. Restrictions on Investigations

  • Employees cannot undertake any investigation related to the illegal distribution or possession of child pornography outside pre-approved locations by the Chief of Investigations or their designee.