Opinion ID: 76025
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Seized Computer in Florida

Text: 4 Further investigation revealed that the screen name hello im beth was registered to Phyllis Hotaling, an AOL customer residing in Brandon, Florida. The police department in Corpus Christi contacted Detective Phillipe Dubord of the sheriff's office in Hillsborough County, Florida and informed him that an individual in Brandon was involved in trading child pornography. Dubord ascertained that the defendant Hall, Hotaling's son, resided with his mother in Brandon. Dubord also learned that Hotaling's account contained other screen names, including the screen name nytewalker666, which the government later used at trial to link Hall to the child pornographic images. The sheriff's office then obtained a warrant to search Hotaling's home. 5 On February 5, 2001, Detective Dubord and other law enforcement officials executed the search warrant at Hotaling's residence in Brandon, Florida. They removed some diskettes and two computers, including one located in Hall's bedroom. They also interviewed the occupants of Hotaling's home and ascertained that Hall was the person likely responsible for trading child pornography. 6 Detective Dubord and another law enforcement official informed Hall of his Miranda 1 rights, which Hall waived after signing an FBI form advising him of his rights. They interviewed Hall in his bedroom, and he admitted that he had been using AOL for approximately a year. Hall also acknowledged that he used AOL screen names hello im beth and nytewalker666, among other screen names. 7 During the interview, Detective Dubord showed Hall child pornographic images and asked Hall if he had seen them before. Hall admitted that he had sent or received some of the child pornographic images. Hall initialed the ones that he recalled having sent or received. These images, with Hall's initials on them, were later marked as government exhibits 4A through 4K and introduced into evidence during Hall's trial.