Earlier this month, the FBI used spyware (which they call “Network Investigative Techniques” ) to ensnare a child pornographer.

Staten Island resident Luis Escobosa was arrest at his home and some of his belongings were seized.

A Tor-based website, called “Playpen,” was previously in operation and was dedicated to “the advertisement and distribution of child pornography and the discussion of matters pertinent to the sexual abuse of children, including the safety and security of individuals who seek to sexually exploit children online.”

Once the website was identified, the FBI moved to seize the command and control server. It was then that the spyware was employed. The spyware turned up a user going by “Fraud92787” who was then identified as Escobosa.

The FBI did not say what kind of spyware was used, but did say that it was able to identify Escobosa's IP address.

Eventually, “using publicly available websites,” the agents traced Fraud92787's IP address back to the Internet Service Provider (ISP) Verizon FiOS. The company turned over information about the user's location after being subpoenaed/summoned.

When the FBI showed up at Escobosa's door, he waived his Miranda rights and admitted to the downloading of child porn and his equipment was seized.

Source: SCMagazine