08/14/2011
By Joel Moreno
EVERETT - A local company is giving police another way to track down child pornography on the Internet.
Everett-based Fluke Networks adapted a troubleshooting product to help law enforcement officials fight crime.
A feature on iPhones and laptops allows users to detect WiFi networks in the area. Fluke Networks made a device, called the Aircheck WiFi Tester
, that can focus in on any networks being used to handle child pornography.Detectives who have a lead on a child predator can use Aircheck to quickly locate the WiFi network used to handle child pornography.
The directional antennae on the device scans a building or home for WiFi connections. Aircheck can tell if a network is open or password-protected, then pinpoint the person who handled the illegal content. That way, police can confidently identify their suspects and make a quick arrest.
Officers with the Martinez Police Department in California say Aircheck makes all the difference.
"It provides us and additional layer of certainty that the person we are targeting is, in fact, the suspect that we are looking for," said Sgt. Dave Mathers. "We don't have to go in blindly anymore."
Prior to Aircheck, police struggled when child predators piggy-backed on someone else's WiFi signal, making it hard to trace the crime. The device now gives investigators a way to sort through the variables, and hunt down the criminals.
"Police have found that they are able to pick this tool up, and within minutes, they know how to use it, and they know how to use it effectively," said Mark Bauman of Fluke Networks.
This device can also be used against identity theft, Internet stalking and even online phishing scams.
