ComputerForensicsDigest.com

A routine traffic stop in northern Ohio led to a disturbing discovery: numerous nude photos of patients secretly taken by an ultrasound technician at Advance Medical Imaging, a facility located in Tiffin, Ohio. The suspect, Jamie Aguirre, 43, is being held in lieu of $250,000 bail; a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday, October 30, in the Kent Municipal Court.

The case is a textbook example of how quickly computer forensics issues can pop up in even the most innocuous-seeming situation. On his way back from last Sunday's Steelers game in Pittsburgh, Aguirre was pulled over for a lane violation. During the stop, police found 2 grams of marijuana and arrested Aguirre for possession.

Accounts differ as to whether the arresting officers then searched Aguirre's car pursuant to the arrest, or because there was something about his demeanor that made them suspicious. In any case, Aguirre's night rapidly went downhill. Police discovered a wireless camera and receiver in the car, a cell phone, and memory chips.

Both the cell phone and memory chips, the police said, contained nude and semi-nude photos of people disrobing in the changing room at AMI. Roughly a third of the images were of minors. Although the exact details are not known right now, Aguirre apparently used the wireless camera to take photos and videos of people in the changing room, as well as some people under sedation. Police said that he had also saved x-ray images of the pubic area of some patients.

A search warrant was issued for Aguirre's home, and investigators have seized a wide variety of electronic media, including a desktop computer, a laptop, 355 handmade DVDs, and assorted other computer equipment. There is no word yet on the results of the forensic investigation of those items.

Administrators at AMI expressed shock and outrage that the privacy of their clients had been violated, but refused to speculate on how Aguirre captured the images. His work area has been sealed pending further investigation.