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SHPO Phone checks- lessons learned

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majestictopaz

Member since
December 2019

499 posts

Posted Wed January 19, 2022 7:18pmReport post

My partner got a new phone recently so had his police liaison visit to do checks and make sure the software to monitor him is active.

My heart dropped when a video of a child was saved on his phone- an automatically saved WhatsApp video that was sent by group chat that do not know about my partner's conviction.

I had to show that it came from a group chat that I'm also in and that the video was sourced from the internet, it was not iioc but did raise concerns. I was worried he was going to be arrested, warned or we would have to disclose to my friends about his conviction. Thankfully they said they had to ask questions about it and have requested he chnage his settings to stop automatically saving. It is annoying that my partner after all this time (sentenced end of 2019) that he didn't make sure he didn't automatically save images and videos.

Maybe the settings changed after an update? Either way his settings are now chnaged to avoid this happening again.

Edited Wed January 19, 2022 7:19pm

Bitterbean

Member since
December 2021

633 posts

Posted Wed January 19, 2022 9:03pmReport post

Majestictopaz, am I understanding correctly, the police were concerned because there was a video of a child from a WhatsApp on his phone, and that was an innocent picture? And this was "a problem?"

My other half is still on bail at the moment and as part of the conditions has had to advise police of his phone and computer. We are part of a family WhatsApp group that regularly shares family pictures and videos, often of the children. I'm now wondering if this too will be considered "a problem" although of course it's just normal pictures of kids playing, eating birthday cake etc.

How have we come to a situation where normal family pictures are viewed with suspicion by the police? Surely people have a right to a family life? This is a world gone mad.

majestictopaz

Member since
December 2019

499 posts

Posted Thu January 20, 2022 7:23amReport post

It depends I guess on their restrictions. We have been told that if my partner keeps getting pics sent by friends and family the police might require him to disclose to the parents. Or at least for each save video and pic he needs to explain where it came from and the police need to make a record.

The video was totally fine and he didn't request it and was sent by someone who has no idea of his conviction. It was a just jokey video from the internet. But because we haven't had many visits and still feels like stepping on egg shells. It would be less stress to ensure no automatically saving photos, but that is my opinion.

Bitterbean

Member since
December 2021

633 posts

Posted Thu January 20, 2022 11:53amReport post

Majestic/Lee Yeah I can see the risks associated with whatsapp in terms of not having control of the content but I guess what I am actually asking is that can the restrictions after conviction prevent the offender from viewing *any* pictures of children?

Don't get me wrong, images of child abuse is completely wrong and using any images of children for personal gratification is also completely wrong, but to me there is a huge leap being made inferring that these offenders cannot view any pictures of children without having deviant thoughts. These convictions seems to assume an enormous amount of "thought crime" with no evidence being produced to support this, it seems to have been laid down and accepted by society. This assumption is not only made after conviction, but also on arrest. My other half's bail conditions forbid unsupervised contact with under 16s, challenged by his solicitor to no avail. It makes family gatherings very difficult.

Summer

Member since
July 2019

394 posts

Posted Thu January 20, 2022 7:52pmReport post

When social care closed the case after arrest he was told he was not allowed to take pictures of our children in the working agreement his allegation is nothing to do with images of children let alone anything in the range my children are. I asked who was going to check this? The answer is no one but I would have to say if he was? I am always supervising. It's a joke really but not worth risking and puting your self at risk. X

Blackhound

Member since
October 2020

479 posts

Posted Thu January 20, 2022 10:56pmReport post

For apps like WhatsApp you can turn the settings off for photo saving... So that it won't save any of the photos sent to him... You should be able to do that with most talking apps tbh... Hope that helps!