Graduate Students Helping Wage Cyber Crime War

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NORTH TEXAS (CBS11) - Child exploitation and homicide cases are stacking up for a cyber crime lab.

Forensic lab analysts say they've been busy pulling out key bits of information from cell phones that will soon be turned over for prosecution.

"The majority of the cases that have come in at this point revolve around homicide cases and various types of sex crimes or child exploitation cases," said forensic lab analyst, Jonathan Hay.

Hay said the University of North Texas Crime Lab has been contacted by local law enforcement agencies and district attorney's offices to extract pictures and videos for various cases.

"It's evidence," said Hay.

Graduate students are also assisting with research and say in many cases the computer alone can't detect pictures and videos.

"You know the pornographic images or threats of some sort can still be hidden within these apps that you'd never know about," said graduate assistant April Lynn Belous.

They say something as innocent looking as a calculator icon can be used in the wrong manner to hide pictures.

Many of these cases are still under investigation and once all of the information is extracted, it will be turned over to police investigators or district attorney's offices.

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