Cleaning Child Porn from a Computer

[Resistance is Character-Formin]

In a thread about hot cartoon moms, an address was posted that lead to a page full of pictures of children having sex with their parents (the post, not the child porn page is here (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=9174624&postcount=55). I would like to remove all traces of these images from my computer - I know that drawn child pornography may be legal in some jurisdictions, but considering how legal opinion has changed on this in the past and may change in the future, I don't want to take any chances. How can I get this off of my computer? I browsed to the web page using the latest version of the Opera browser.

[Flander]

Delete the files, then defrag. Or, you can download some free programs that "wipe" files from the hard drive. Also, empty recycling bin.

[Resistance is Character-Formin]

Delete the files, then defrag. Or, you can download some free programs that "wipe" files from the hard drive. Also, empty recycling bin.

Where would these files be? I didn't save the images, of course, but I have heard that anything you look at on your computer is saved on your hard drive whether you want to or not.

[Mr. Slant]

The JPEGs might be in a temporary files folder.

[Balthisar]

Clear your cache. If you didn't "save as..." them, that's where they'll be.

[Snarky_Kong]

You probably want to delete your browser history and cookies then. The option should be in the tools menu on your internet browser.

[Flander]

Oh. The easy way to do this is to click Start->program files->accessories->system tools->disk cleanup. Make sure all the options are checked, then click OK. It will ask if you really want to do this, click OK. Also, you may want to delete the cookies in your web browser. In Internet Explorer, go to Tools->internet options then click on Delete cookies and Delete files. If you're running Firefox, go to Tools->Clear Private Data (or just press ctrl+shift+del).

ETA: You may also want to run a spyware/malware program like SpyBot (http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022_4-10743107.html?tag=lst-1)to make sure there isn't anything else you may have picked up from those sites.

[Dead Badger]

In Opera, go Tools > Preferences > Advanced > History, and then next to where it says "disk cache", click the "Empty Now" button. Clear the history, too, if you're bothered about the site's URL showing up there.

While the files will now be deleted, then will still be recoverable by forensic data techniques for a while (i.e. until the bits of your disk they were written on get overwritten). Defragging will make this less likely, but it's not a foolproof method of ensuring things aren't readable. While there are methods of effectively writing noise to all the unused bits of your hard disk, I really wouldn't bother (and I've never tried, so can't recommend any software). There's no conceivable way I can see that you'd get prosecuted for inadvertently clicking through to an openly accessible site. In time the deleted files will get overwritten, and become irrecoverable (depending on how full your disk is, and how heavily used).

[elmwood]

This is assuming you're using Windows.

Run a couple of spyware/malware checks using at least two different anti-malware programs, followed by a virus check.

Clear your browser cache and history list of all your browsers. Run a few temporary file cleaning programs; not just the regular Disk Cleanup in Windows, but also others; CCleaner (http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,24149-order,1-page,1-c,alldownloads/description.html) is among the good free options. A registry cleaner like RegClean (http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,4666-order,1-page,1-c,systemresourcestuneup/description.html) also can't hurt. Empty the recycling bin. Defrag, followed by a secure delete: overwriting the unused sectors (
http://www.pcworld.com/search/results?col=down&qt=overwrite) of your drive.

Finally, a healthy dose of eye bleach. Also, don't forget to notify a mod about the offending post!

[cckerberos]

Now that the OP's question seems to have been adequately answered, I'd like to ask if such drawn pictures are actually illegal anywhere in the US. It would honestly have never occurred to me to describe such pictures as child porn.

[Flander]

My understanding is that they are not illegal; there isn't actually anything going on. It is certainly lude, though.

[bump]

I'd probably get something like Webroot's Window Washer, and let it go to town. It'll clean up IE history, file slack, free space, you name it.

It's what we use here at the office to clear information off of our computers.

(I work in a computer forensics shop!)

[Jake]

In Opera 9.24 to to Tools, Delete Private Data, Delete. This is a pretty heavy delete though, so check "Details" before proceeding.

[Exapno Mapcase]

My understanding is that they are not illegal; there isn't actually anything going on. It is certainly lude, though.
Do you mean lewd, or is that a slang term I'm not familiar with?

[Flander]

Do you mean lewd, or is that a slang term I'm not familiar with?

:smack: It looked really wrong when I typed it, then Firefox spell check flagged it. Did I listen? Nope. Oh well.

[jackelope]

My understanding is that they are not illegal; there isn't actually anything going on. It is certainly lude, though.There have been a number of Supreme Court cases on "virtual child porn," defined as porn that is either (a) created on a computer using graphics programs, or (b) features actors who are adults but look underage. IIRC, the last time this issue was taken up, these were held to be non-obscene (i.e., protected speech), but it was a close vote, 5-4.

Regarding computer-generated child porn, at least one concurring justice (Thomas, and maybe another) said he would change his vote if/when the imaging technology progressed to the point where this "fake" porn was indistinguishable from real child porn, because child-pornographers would then have an excuse: "It's not real; I created it on my computer." The state would then carry the burden of proving, somehow, that it was in fact a real child/children in the image.

Given this reasoning, I doubt that cartoons of child porn would be considered obscene. Disgusting, but not constitutionally "obscene."

[mlees]

Now that the OP's question seems to have been adequately answered, I'd like to ask if such drawn pictures are actually illegal anywhere in the US. It would honestly have never occurred to me to describe such pictures as child porn.

I can't answer the legal question, but some companies (as well as government employees) can fire employees if they are found to have porn on their work computers. (As well as other illegal downloads like pirated music or games.)

I personally have seen two cases of this occur in the last 5 years were I work. However, in both case, for the individuals involved, they were not accidental mis-clicks.

[Resistance is Character-Formin]

There have been a number of Supreme Court cases on "virtual child porn," defined as porn that is either (a) created on a computer using graphics programs, or (b) features actors who are adults but look underage. IIRC, the last time this issue was taken up, these were held to be non-obscene (i.e., protected speech), but it was a close vote, 5-4.

Regarding computer-generated child porn, at least one concurring justice (Thomas, and maybe another) said he would change his vote if/when the imaging technology progressed to the point where this "fake" porn was indistinguishable from real child porn, because child-pornographers would then have an excuse: "It's not real; I created it on my computer." The state would then carry the burden of proving, somehow, that it was in fact a real child/children in the image.

Given this reasoning, I doubt that cartoons of child porn would be considered obscene. Disgusting, but not constitutionally "obscene."

Yeah, that close vote is what worrys me.

Thanks for the advice, I've cleared my caches and ran a defrag.

[KGS]

IIRC, the last time this issue was taken up, these were held to be non-obscene (i.e., protected speech), but it was a close vote, 5-4. Nitpick: the vote was 6-3.

Regarding computer-generated child porn, at least one concurring justice (Thomas, and maybe another) said he would change his vote if/when the imaging technology progressed to the point where this "fake" porn was indistinguishable from real child porn, because child-pornographers would then have an excuse: "It's not real; I created it on my computer." The PROTECT Act of 2003 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PROTECT_Act_of_2003), drafted in response to the overturning of the 1996 Child Porn Prevention Act, specifically outlaws computer-generated child pornography which appears to be "virtually indistinguishable" from the real thing. While today's computer technology is not advanced enough to simulate 100% realism, it's assumed that such technology will be possible in the near future, and that's what the law is aimed at.

[The Great Sun Jester]

lude = "Quaalude"

Quaalude, in turn, is based on the term, "Quiet Interlude." So I guess as long as the animated sex is mellow, you could say the images were "lude." Sort of. Maybe.

[Glazer]

Remove hard drive and hit with a hammer. Or...













Take off and nuke it from orbit it's the only way to be sure.

[Cillasi]

Don't worry about it! As long as you're not visiting the site (or others like it) regularly, or unless your browser was hijacked and you're constantly bombarded with lewd pop-ups and/or redirected to such sites, nobody cares. It is just too easy to innocently click a link into a weird site these days or to mistype a web address and end up somewhere you'd never otherwise think of going.

Whether at home or at work, neither your boss nor the authorities care if your browser attempted to access a site like that ONCE or even twice.

Clear your cache and history just so other members in your household or on your job don't accidently (or otherwise) access the site and then forget about it. No big deal.

[DrDeth]

I will point out that even if you win on appeal, just the arrest will likely ruin your life. Dudes tend to forget about the huge legal costs, the bail, lost wages and lost jobs, and others "costs" even of being found "not guilty".

[Szlater]

I will point out that even if you win on appeal, just the arrest will likely ruin your life. Dudes tend to forget about the huge legal costs, the bail, lost wages and lost jobs, and others "costs" even of being found "not guilty".

Yep. Just ask the thousands of men who got caught up in Operation Ore (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_ore) because their credit cards were stolen and used to purchase subscriptions to child porn sites. Some of them, even though they were innocent, accepted police cautions (admitting guilt and becoming registered sex offenders) rather than go through a court case and possibly end up in prison.

[jackelope]

The PROTECT Act of 2003 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PROTECT_Act_of_2003), drafted in response to the overturning of the 1996 Child Porn Prevention Act, specifically outlaws computer-generated child pornography which appears to be "virtually indistinguishable" from the real thing. While today's computer technology is not advanced enough to simulate 100% realism, it's assumed that such technology will be possible in the near future, and that's what the law is aimed at.Thanks for mentioning that; I thought I remembered something about it, but my law books are all in storage now.