ABSTRACT
Forensic evidence can be powerful and reliable evidence in any type of crime. The rise of the Internet and the associated capabilities of media transfer have established new domains in which sex offenders can accumulate and exchange both sexually explicit and nonexplicit materials. Prior to beginning a discussion of collateral materials, one should be aware that in the early 1980s, coauthor Lanning noted that preferential sex offenders were very likely to collect theme pornography and other paraphernalia related to their sexual interests. In conducting research on serial rapists, sexual sadists, and pedophiles, the authors were surprised at the attempts of the men to gain insight into and/or rationalize their deviant sexuality. Law enforcement agencies are tasked with deciding whether to dedicate resources to the proactive policing of the digital world for the preemption of potential sex crimes.
