FBI Gets Evidence in Student Webcam Scandal (here is one of the pics)

FBI Gets Evidence in Student Webcam Scandal

A federal judge has granted the FBI access to evidence linked to a webcam scandal at a Philadelphia suburban school district.

Federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania said they were investigating “possible criminal conduct” (.pdf) in the 6,900-student Lower Merion School District.

U.S. District Judge Jan DuBois is presiding over a federal civil lawsuit alleging the district secretly snapped tens of thousands of webcam images (.pdf) of students using school-issued laptops, without the pupils’ knowledge or consent.

The judge had ordered the evidence in the case — which include the district computers and thousands of pictures of high school children – sealed to protect the privacy of the students, temporarily frustrating federal law enforcement officials.

But the judge agreed Monday to release the evidence to prosecutors (.pdf), at the request of U.S. Attorney Michael Levy.

Read More http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/05/webcam-scandal-evidence/#ixzz0nkYtZHci

Thanks for the post.

No way the camera was focused in right on his head like that.

when he fell asleep and left the computer open.

Is cropping images not allowed? The image was given to the media by the plaintiffs and was either cropped by the attorney or cropped by the media source or both. What's wrong with that?

This image has been shown by the media for weeks and weeks. Do you REALLY believe that if it were not an actual image or portion of an image taken by the webcam by the school that after all this time the school wouldn't be freaking out about that and stringing up the plaintiffs and their attorney on charges?

which is a shame.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20100512_Spy-cam_suit_family_drops_plan_for_class-action_status.html

Individual suits are more expensive and time consuming for the defendants and plaintiffs make out better. It doesn't even make much sense to have it as a class action now as even at this late date no other families seem to be interested in suing. In the event that other families decide to sue it will likely be made into a class action which is easier for the court and cheaper and less time consuming for the defendants.

I've never understood why people here think class action suits are so great for plaintiffs when it's the opposite... they're designed to favor defendants and the court.

Dropping the class action makes lmsdparents.org's involvement moot, eliminates the certification litigation, and allows for Robbins to collect substantial $ damages.

It's a smart move...discovery continues, and now, the Robbins don't have to share the pot.

Clearly that kid is strung out on drugs.

It's a good thing they caught him in time.