Criminal Investigations & Forensic Science

Pornography, abortion, rape, sexual discrimination: one merely has to open the newspaper or turn on the television to be confronted with sexual issues. In Sexual Investigations, Alan Soble contributes to the discussion by examining the moral, political, and analytical dimensions of sexuality that form the foundation for these discussions. In Sexual Investigations, Soble takes a rigorous yet user-friendly look at a number of topics in the area of human sexuality: the nature of sexual activity, the ethics of sexual conduct, pornography, masturbation, sexual health, perversion, date rape, prostitution, contraception, reproduction, and both the beauty and the ugliness of the sexual body. What, Soble asks, defines healthy sexuality? How firm is the distinction between rape and consensual sex? How and when are sexually explicit films and photographs degrading to women? This sweeping examination of the philosophical, ethical, and political issues surrounding human sexuality is as learned and thoughtful as it is entertaining.

As child sexual abuse investigation and intervention in the United States has evolved over the past decade, it has become clear that no single discipline or agency can meet the needs of abused children and their families. Coordinated investigative teams, involving an alliance between a wide range of professionals - such as criminal justice professionals, social workers, medical practitioners and mental health clinicians - are needed for fact-finding, child protection and criminal prosecution. This practical book focuses on how to design, develop, operate and maintain effective teams. It begins with examinations of how to build teams and the roles and responsibilities of the professionals involved. Investigative interviewing

The investigation of sex crimes is a specific function for many law enforcement agencies, requiring an understanding of how to investigate, process crime scenes, interact with victims and offenders, and prepare for court. Drawing on new methods of investigation and the effects of such crimes on victims, Forensic Investigation of Sex Crimes and Sexual Offenders provides in-depth coverage in these areas, offering a valuable supplement for criminal justice courses and an accessible guide for law enforcement.

It is startling to read how few sexual offenses are reported in a year; even more shocking to see how few reports lead to an arrest. Research on effective responses to sexual offenses is much needed and ongoing. This edited book presents the current state of research on investigative techniques used in sex crime investigations, and the operational challenges and issues that arise in these investigations. Including an international cohort of scholars from various academic backgrounds, it reviews current efforts in key areas, synthesizing the research to make recommendations for the improvement of investigative practices and the criminal justice system’s response to sexual offenses. Each chapter includes a brief introduction to the topic, a review of the research, and a discussion of the key points relevant to investigators and researchers as they move forward. The book is broken down into four themes: suspect prioritization and identification techniques, investigative interviewing, operational challenges and issues, and the investigation of specific types of sex crimes. With its broad coverage and international scope, this volume fills the gap in knowledge for investigators working on sex crimes cases. With its easy-to-read style and clear analysis of the research, this is the perfect volume for investigators and law enforcement officers, policy makers and researchers, and students in criminology and criminal justice, forensic psychology, and victim services.

No one wants to be robbed at gunpoint, or have his car stolen, or his house robbed. When these crimes happen, victims may feel angry, afraid, or violated. But there is no violation quite so devastating as sexual assault. Victims do not recover easily—either emotionally, psychologically, or physically from such incidents, and the long-term impact can have devastating effects on the victims, their families, and communities. Investigating sexually based crimes is particularly difficult for many reasons. Often the collection of evidence requires a medical examination of the victim—a second violation of sorts. Police must interview the victim, who must recount his or her assault. Often, the victims are children, and offenders range from family members to perfect strangers. But investigating and prosecuting these crimes is crucial to the healing process of many victims, and to the safety of society at large. Detective Snow takes readers on a tour of the ways in which the police investigate and help prosecute such crimes. Each chapter begins with a real-life incident and throughout the book real stories are used to illustrate each step in the process. Snow addresses the processing of the crime scene, the collection of evidence, the development of suspects, the questioning of witnesses and perpetrators, and the preparation for trial. Few members of the public have any idea how complex and delicate the investigation of sex crimes really is. This book sheds light on this important police work and helps readers understand how these crimes are investigated, solved, and prosecuted. Victims and their families will especially benefit from the information in this book, but all readers will gain insight into the crimes, their incidence, their impact on victims, and the way the criminal justice system responds, from the scene of the crime through the capture and incarceration of the perpetrators.

Investigating Sexual Assault Cases, Second Edition serves as an essential textbook for courses in investigating rape and sexual assault. As with the first edition, this second edition includes the latest research and techniques in coverage of victimology, offender typology, investigative techniques, interviewing, and legal implications. This new, second edition includes chapters on child victims and molestation, sexual homicides as potentially staged events, grooming, interviewing techniques, and same-sex, elder, and special populations as victims of sexual assault. The book fills a current void in the body of literature on the topics of rape and sex crime investigation. Many previous writings, while informative, do not address all the investigative processes necessary for an investigation to be thorough and complete. By providing a fresh approach to the topic, the author aims to augment those writings and, ultimately, improving the reader’ awareness by being much more attuned to the needs of—and taking investigative cures from—the victim. Key Features: Outlines the complete investigative process for sexual assault cases, from evidence collection and interviews to court and legal proceedings Addresses victims and victimology, offender typology, the importance of the investigative interviewing process, and working with attorneys Includes new chapters on grooming, sexual homicides, SAFE examinations, and child-specific interviewing techniques Added coverage looks at same-sex crimes, crimes against men, elder victims, and assault of vulnerable populations In addition to being used in coursework in Forensic Science and Criminal justice programs, Investigating Sexual Assault Cases, Second Edition will serve as an essential reference for police detectives, criminal and death investigators, legal professionals, sexual assault nurses, and those who provide health, and mental health, services to populations experiencing sexual assault.