ComputerForensicsDigest.com

When the Berkshire County District Attorney's office in western Massachusetts loaded a CD of larceny evidence onto its computer, it found more than it expected: a computer file folder with 153 images of child pornography, as well as photos and a video of a male masturbating in front of a computer. The room in the video was one the district attorney had seen before: the evidence room at the Adams Police Department.

Although the man's head was out of the video frame, his left hand was not. Viewers saw a distinctive scar that was later matched to a similar scar on the left hand of Alan C. Vigiard, 45, a long-time member of the Adams Police Department. It is not clear how the child pornography images or video wound up on the CD of larceny evidence.

Vigiard was one of only four people with access to the Adams evidence room. Investigators from the Massachusetts State Police Digital Evidence Unit used log-in times and network timestamps to determine that child pornography files on the Adams evidence room computer were accessed during times when Vigiard was logged into the system.

DEU investigators also discovered that a copy of LimeWire had been installed, and that a number of child pornography-related searches had been run.

The department told reporters that there was also evidence that Vigiard tried to delete potential evidence while state investigators were talking to the police chief about the case. All of the files were subsequently recovered by the DEU.

Vigiard is on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. A conviction would carry a potential sentence of five and half years, and a fine of up to $100,000.