Opinion ID: 622724
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: Sufficient Probable Cause Existed to Search Michele Clark's Home and Personal Computers

Text: Clark maintains that even if probable cause to search for child pornography existed, Vucich's affidavits failed to establish a sufficient nexus between his brother's home and his own to justify a search of his residence. In particular, he stresses that whatever assault occurred, it transpired in his brother's home. Moreover, he emphasizes, police could not reasonably have expected to retrieve from his home computer the alleged apology text he sent via Yahoo instant messaging. We disagree. In light of our conclusion that probable cause existed to search for evidence that Michele Clark collected child pornography, all that was required to authorize a search of his personal residence were facts that allow[ed] for a reasonable inference that there [wa]s a fair probability that evidence w[ould] be found in a particular place. See Aljabari, 626 F.3d at 944-45. We have held that in child pornography cases, an issuing judge may reasonably assume that a recipient or collector of child pornography would store that content in his home. See id. (citing Watzman, 486 F.3d at 1008). That analysis controls in this case as well: once probable cause existed to characterize Clark as a collector of child pornography, probable cause existed to extend the search to his home and personal computers.