In many situations, police find individuals they suspect of possessing child pornography by identifying computers' IP addresses. Each computer has a unique IP address, and any time information is shared online from that computer, the computer leaves online tracks.

Typically, once police identify an IP address, they track the address to a person's physical address. A 49-year-old man from Burnsville is currently facing charges for possession of child pornography because of a situation like that. The man was charged with six counts of possession of child pornography.

Each felony charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. If the man is convicted, he could be sentenced to up to six years in prison and a $60,000 fine.

According to the police report, a Minneapolis police officer was assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children task force. While he was working on the task force, he was made aware of a host computer that was allegedly offering to share child pornography files with other people.

The police officer tracked the computer to the man's house and obtained a search warrant. When police searched the home, they found two computers and three external hard drives. In total, the investigation revealed 254 child pornography pictures, and several of the children were identified as missing children through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Center.

Although the police search resulted in finding child pornography on several computers, there are ways in which tracking an IP address can be misleading. If an individual has unsecured internet access, another person can "steal" his or her internet access. If that person viewed or shared child pornography, the IP address could get traced back to the person who is hosting the internet.

Source: Burnsville Patch, "Burnsville Man Charged with Possession of Child Pornography," Betsy Sundquist, Dec. 23, 2011