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Detained on Suspicion of Human Trafficking at SAT Airport

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Detained on Suspicion of Human Trafficking at SAT Airport

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Old Mar 21, 2017, 12:41 pm
  #31  
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Originally Posted by Guvner067
Except it ignores the pertinent part of the OP.

"He then asked me what phone I had and if he could see it. I told him it was an iPhone 6 & no, he couldn't see it. I don't give my phones to strangers, let alone cops. If he had the right to see it without my permission, he wouldn't have asked for permission."
...Regardless of the other factors, good for him for asserting his 4th and 5th Amendment rights.
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Old Mar 21, 2017, 1:08 pm
  #32  
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Originally Posted by invisible
Note to self - do not browse any images on phone at public places and especially on a plane/airport.
Then there goes the ability to fully use FlyerTalk on planes and at airports.
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Old Mar 21, 2017, 3:16 pm
  #33  
 
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Originally Posted by FliesWay2Much
...Regardless of the other factors, good for him for asserting his 4th and 5th Amendment rights.
In the real world not handing over the potential key piece of evidence in an investigation makes you look suspicious. If I have received a complaint about someone having illicit material on their phone and I ask if I can have a look at it and they go 'nope'..well while that does not prove their guilt, it certainly makes me wanna take a closer look.

And given they appear to have let OP go without charges or anything, that's all they did.
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Old Mar 21, 2017, 3:24 pm
  #34  
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Originally Posted by Ber2dca
In the real world not handing over the potential key piece of evidence in an investigation makes you look suspicious. If I have received a complaint about someone having illicit material on their phone and I ask if I can have a look at it and they go 'nope'..well while that does not prove their guilt, it certainly makes me wanna take a closer look.
If so, then the most suspicious actors are the governmental actors. All the more reason not to play surrender monkey with one's "papers" in "secured" electronic form.
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Old Mar 21, 2017, 3:56 pm
  #35  
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Originally Posted by Ber2dca
In the real world not handing over the potential key piece of evidence in an investigation makes you look suspicious. If I have received a complaint about someone having illicit material on their phone and I ask if I can have a look at it and they go 'nope'..well while that does not prove their guilt, it certainly makes me wanna take a closer look.

And given they appear to have let OP go without charges or anything, that's all they did.
How far should this be taken?

If someone reports seeing a pax swallowing something suspicious, should that sufficient to detain that pax for xrays and fecal matter probes to ensure that the pax did not, in fact, swallow suspicious contraband?

Is that also your idea of an acceptable 'closer look', particularly if the pax ultimately is not charged with anything because he was, in fact, falsely accused?

It is virtually impossible to prove a negative when you are dealing with a person or system that starts with the basic assumption that you are guilty of something and the onus is on you to do whatever is necessary to prove that you are not guilty of whatever they think you are.
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Old Mar 21, 2017, 5:01 pm
  #36  
 
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If authorities suspect you've got a bag of cocaine in your stomach or up your a**e, then they will take measures to find out if you do.

If authorities *don't* follow up on complaints or suspicions and something happens, then they get to feel the brunt of public outrage.

"Innocent until proven guilty" does not mean LEOs can't investigate complaints. An investigation in itself is a measure designed to find out what really is the case. That might entail inconvenience for the people involved but as long as the outcome of the investigation is fair, it's not a bad thing. We aren't talking about an innocent man sent to prison here.
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Old Mar 22, 2017, 12:25 am
  #37  
 
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My guess is the complaining pax thought the images were of underage girls and said something, which turned into this. Sounds like things worked as they are "supposed to." Unfortunately, this is the process.

Human trafficking and child porn are very interconnected financially, AND many sex slaves are indeed from SE Asia. Sometimes the child's own family sells them into such slavery.

The OP's situation isn't that different from what sometimes happens to FT'ers who participate in Manufactured Spending. There's nothing wrong or illegal with MS, BUT it appears very similar to money laundering to LEOs.
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Old Mar 22, 2017, 6:43 am
  #38  
 
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Originally Posted by Ber2dca
In the real world not handing over the potential key piece of evidence in an investigation makes you look suspicious. If I have received a complaint about someone having illicit material on their phone and I ask if I can have a look at it and they go 'nope'..well while that does not prove their guilt, it certainly makes me wanna take a closer look.

And given they appear to have let OP go without charges or anything, that's all they did.
In the U.S., a person exercising his constitutional right is not a valid reason to believe someone "look[s] suspicious". So by saying "nope" the meter on suspicion is not moved.
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Old Mar 22, 2017, 8:23 am
  #39  
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Originally Posted by Ber2dca
In the real world not handing over the potential key piece of evidence in an investigation makes you look suspicious. If I have received a complaint about someone having illicit material on their phone and I ask if I can have a look at it and they go 'nope'..well while that does not prove their guilt, it certainly makes me wanna take a closer look.

And given they appear to have let OP go without charges or anything, that's all they did.
If a city cop approached me and asked for my phone without any further explanation, I'd say no. How is this remotely suspicious?

If I'm passing through immigration, I'd probably hand over the phone. Although for my international trips in the Trump era, I'll probably hard-reset before each trip. (Not really a big deal with an Android phone.) Yes, I realize forensics experts can still extract data from a phone even after a reset, but a simply snoopy agent wanting to look at Facebook and the like would be thwarted.
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Old Mar 22, 2017, 9:23 am
  #40  
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Originally Posted by Ber2dca
In the real world not handing over the potential key piece of evidence in an investigation makes you look suspicious. If I have received a complaint about someone having illicit material on their phone and I ask if I can have a look at it and they go 'nope'..well while that does not prove their guilt, it certainly makes me wanna take a closer look.

And given they appear to have let OP go without charges or anything, that's all they did.
It appears to me that this rationale is why we have search warrants.
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Old Mar 22, 2017, 11:25 am
  #41  
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Originally Posted by RussianTexan
As I'm walking back to my family with all the relief of someone who really needed to go to the bathroom, an African-American SAT Airport Police officer comes up to me and begins grilling me. "Who's that guy?" as he pointed at my stepdad. "Who's that?" as he pointed at my little sister. I explained who they were in a calm but absolutely internally bewildered manner. He then asked me what phone I had and if he could see it. I told him it was an iPhone 6 & no, he couldn't see it. I don't give my phones to strangers, let alone cops. If he had the right to see it without my permission, he wouldn't have asked for permission.
Originally Posted by Ber2dca
In the real world not handing over the potential key piece of evidence in an investigation makes you look suspicious. If I have received a complaint about someone having illicit material on their phone and I ask if I can have a look at it and they go 'nope'..well while that does not prove their guilt, it certainly makes me wanna take a closer look.
Ber2dca, be that as it may, that still wouldn't cause me to hand over my phone. Too many innocent people have gotten in trouble with law enforcement because they thought, "I haven't got anything to lose so why should I refuse their request." (See, for example, countless tales about civil asset forfeiture and how law enforcement agencies abuse it.) Also, if you reread the OP's tale you'll see that the cops asked for his phone before giving any indication they thought there were scandalous photos on it.
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Old Mar 22, 2017, 11:26 am
  #42  
 
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Originally Posted by Ber2dca
In the real world not handing over the potential key piece of evidence in an investigation makes you look suspicious.
In the United States police generally need a warrant to inspect someone's phone. They can ask, but the person being questioned can say no. It's same as demanding a warrant before allowing a search of a home or car. Police assume that most people will say ok, and generally get their way. They can't force someone to hand over their phone, and they cannot confiscate one without making an arrest and then generally needing a warrant.

Someone mentioned CBP. This was a domestic flight, so CBP is not involved.
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Old Mar 22, 2017, 3:24 pm
  #43  
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Originally Posted by chollie
This.

It's possible to investigate reports without automatically assuming the worst at the outset and going overboard. As you note, often just asking the pax and using a modicum of civility and common sense can resolve the issue without unnecessary drama and delay.
Originally Posted by Guvner067
Except it ignores the pertinent part of the OP.

"He then asked me what phone I had and if he could see it. I told him it was an iPhone 6 & no, he couldn't see it. I don't give my phones to strangers, let alone cops. If he had the right to see it without my permission, he wouldn't have asked for permission."
But at that point they hadn't explained why they wanted to see it. At that point it only looked like a fishing expedition, the OP was right to tell the cops to pound sand.

I'm saying the cops should start out being specific--in this case, a report of disturbing images in the photo roll. No need for the cops to even touch the phone, simply flip through the photos, showing the cops that there was nothing illegal.
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Old Mar 26, 2017, 6:08 am
  #44  
 
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If I saw a dude hanging out with young teens and flashing around a bunch of porn images, I'd say something, too. Thanks, Muslim garb guy!
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Old Mar 26, 2017, 4:45 pm
  #45  
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Originally Posted by Anna Phor
If I saw a dude hanging out with young teens and flashing around a bunch of porn images, I'd say something, too. Thanks, Muslim garb guy!
1) They were nudes, not porn.

2) Having kids doesn't suddenly make you non-sexual. A parent can still have normal sexual desires.

I see no reason to say anything unless the nudes appeared to be underage.
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