2022 - 2025 Faculty Publications
2025
Forensic Social Sciences
Theory, Research, and Practice (First Edition)
Author(s):
Stephen J. Morewitz
Forensic Social Sciences: Theory, Research, and Practice explores the intersection of social sciences with legal and governmental forums. The textbook discusses the role of forensic social scientists in the courtroom and beyond, examining how their expertise in disciplines such as psychology, sociology, and anthropology can shape legal outcomes and public policy.
The book provides a detailed account of various forms of forensic social sciences contributions, ranging from ethics, the history of expert testimony, the use of forensic evidence in court, and the implications of these practices on government policies and laws. It draws specific attention to the analysis of environmental factors and forensic sciences, forensic archaeology, and the work of forensic anthropologists in legal contexts.
Forensic Social Sciences serves as a valuable resource for students in courses relating to forensic science, criminal justice, and policy development. It equips learners with nuances surrounding forensic social sciences implications in the legal arena, highlighting the professional responsibilities and ethical considerations inherent to the field.
Publishing Information:
Holes in kinky education: The role of pornography in learning about BDSM sexualities.
Author(s):
Olson, I., & Westlake, B.
Publishing information:
Olson, I., & Westlake, B. (2025). Holes in kinky education: The role of pornography
in learning about BDSM sexualities. Sex Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2025.2461301
A double-edged sword: the role of pornography in learning about BDSM
Author(s):
Bryce G Westlake Ph.D, Jennifer Kusz & Erin Afana
Increasing depictions of kink in mainstream society are leading to a rise in people seeking to learn about and participate in bondage/discipline, domination/submission, and sadism/masochism (BDSM). For many, this initial education process is likely to focus on the Internet and pornography specifically. Existing research into the impact of pornography on sex education has been mixed, though predominantly negative. However, pornography’s role in BDSM education has yet to be explored. To address this gap, 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted with BDSM community leaders in Canada and the USA to examine from where and what practitioners learn about BDSM. Participants drew upon their personal experiences and those they interacted with in their capacity as a community leader. Interviewees identified the benefits and risks associated with using pornography as a learning tool for BDSM participation. They stressed how pornography’s value as a learning tool has evolved over time, how it can normalise BDSM and increase self-acceptance, teach skills, and reinforce negotiation and consent practices. However, if consumers cannot separate fantasy from reality, pornography can have negative effects. The impact of BDSM-themed pornography for education, especially in adolescents and young people, is discussed, as are directions for more in-depth investigations of this topic.
Publishing information:
Westlake, B., Kusz, J., & Afana, E. (2025). A double-edged sword: The role of pornography in learning about BDSM. Sex Education, 25(1), 23-37. http://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2023.2266808
2024
Handbook of Understanding Terrorism: Forensic Social Sciences Case Studies
Author(s):
Martine Herzog-Evans, Stephen J. Morewitz
This book examines common theoretical conceptualization of terrorism, including all the following dimensions:
- Macro-criminological theories
- Psycho-criminological models of aggression
- Psycho-criminological models of risk and need (RNR)
- Psychopathology
- Social psychology, particularly in the areas of intergroup relations, identity, need for closure, and, the quest for significance
- Ideological and religious passions and extremism
International in scope, each chapter draws on a combination of these frameworks, exemplified in a collection of case series and studies, to help students, practitioners, and researchers better understand these phenomena.
Publishing Information:
Morewitz, S. (2024). Cases Series of far-left terrorism. In M. Herzog-Evans & Morewitz, S. (Eds.). Handbook of understanding terrorism. Springer International Publishing.
Decolonizing Qualitative Research: A TribalCrit Approach to the Study of Native American and Indigenous Students at an MSI
Author(s):
Veneice Guillory-Lacy, Jodie-A. Warren, Elisa Aquino and Kerri J. Malloy
Publishing information:
Comparison of Likelihood Ratios from Probabilistic Genotyping for Two-Person Mixtures across Different Assays and Instruments
Author(s):
Dennis McNevin, Mark Barash
Continuous probabilistic genotyping (PG) provides a means to estimate the probative value of DNA mixtures tendered as evidence in court and subject to alternative propositions about the contributors to the mixtures. The weight of that evidence, however, may be valued differently, depending on which forensic laboratory undertook the DNA analysis. There is a need, therefore, to have a means for the comparison of likelihood ratios (LRs) generated by continuous PG amongst different laboratories for the same initial DNA sample. Such a comparison would enable the courts and the public to make judgements about the reliability of this type of evidence. There are particular mixtures and methods for which such a comparison is meaningful, and this study explores them for the short tandem repeat (STR) electropherograms of two-person mixtures obtained from the PROVEDIt Database. We demonstrate a common maximum attainable LR for a given set of common STR loci and a given DNA mixture that is consistent across three different STR profiling assays and two different capillary electrophoresis instruments.
Publishing information:
McNevin, D.; Barash, M. Comparison of Likelihood Ratios from Probabilistic Genotyping for Two-Person Mixtures across Different Assays and Instruments. Forensic Sci. 2024, 4, 441-452. https://doi.org/10.3390/forensicsci4030028
The use of machine learning for the determination of a type/model of firearms by the characteristics on cartridge cases
Author(s):
Pavel Giverts, Ksenia Sorokina, Mark Barash, Vladimir Fedorenko
Cartridge cases are commonly collected at crime scenes involving firearms. One of the stages in forensic examination is the determination of the type and model of firearms based on the class characteristics of these cartridge cases. A firearm examiner evaluates the class characteristics on the basis of their knowledge and experience, and by referring to collections of cartridge cases representing class characteristics of different firearms, special databases and reference books. However, this process is highly subjective. The novelty of this research is in developing objective methods of firearms determination by applying a machine learning approach. In this study, several Convolutional Neural Networks from Keras programming package were trained to determine the type/model of a firearm based on the class characteristics observed on cartridge cases from seven different categories of firearms
Publishing information:
Pavel Giverts, Ksenia Sorokina, Mark Barash, Vladimir Fedorenko, The use of machine learning for the determination of a type/model of firearms by the characteristics on cartridge cases, Forensic Science International, Volume 358, 2024, 112021, ISSN 0379-0738, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.112021.
Machine learning applications in forensic DNA profiling: A critical review
Author(s):
Mark Barash, Dennis McNevin, Vladimir Fedorenko, Pavel Giverts
Machine learning (ML) is a range of powerful computational algorithms capable of generating predictive models via intelligent autonomous analysis of relatively large and often unstructured data. ML has become an integral part of our daily lives with a plethora of applications, including web, business, automotive industry, clinical diagnostics, scientific research, and more recently, forensic science. In the field of forensic DNA, the manual analysis of complex data can be challenging, time-consuming, and error-prone. The integration of novel ML-based methods may aid in streamlining this process while maintaining the high accuracy and reproducibility required for forensic tools. Due to the relative novelty of such applications, the forensic community is largely unaware of ML capabilities and limitations.
Publishing information:
Mark Barash, Dennis McNevin, Vladimir Fedorenko, Pavel Giverts, Machine learning applications in forensic DNA profiling: A critical review, Forensic Science International: Genetics, Volume 69, 2024, 102994, ISSN 1872-4973, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsigen.2023.102994.
Immigration Enforcement: The Impact of Crimmigration on Mixed-Immigration-Status Families in the U.S.
Author(s):
Gabriela Gonzalez
Forced familial separation via detention and deportation is a looming threat facing the 6 million US-citizen children who currently live in households with at least one undocumented parent. Today’s immigration landscape is characterized by a complex proliferation and intensification of existing immigration enforcement tactics at the federal, state, and local level separating tens of thousands of children from their parents and producing irreparable harm. In FY 2022 alone, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—carried out 142,750 arrests, imprisoned a daily average of 30,000 individuals in one of the nation’s immigration prisons, and deported over 70,000 persons. While these numbers are lower than record highs of 2019 (nearly a quarter million removals), rates have steadily increased each month since early 2022 as the world recovers from a global pandemic. Likely, we will continue to see increases in the imprisonment and removal of non-citizens in the forthcoming years. Many of these detentions and deportations are made possible via “crimmigration.” Although criminal law and immigration law are two separate systems, crimmigration is a term used by scholars to describe the process of blending the two whereby non-citizens who are convicted of a criminal offense may also have their current and future immigration statuses jeopardized. Specifically, the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRAIRA) created a loophole for immigrants to experience dual punishment for the same act by placing all non-citizens who are arrested by police (criminal law) at risk of imprisonment in a detention facility and removal proceedings (civil law).
Publishing information:
Gonzalez, G. (2024). “Immigration Enforcement: The Impact of Crimmigration on Mixed-
Immigration-Status Families in the U.S.” In Budd, K.M., Dillaway, H., Muschert, G.,
Nair, M.,
Lane, D.C., and Smith, J. (Eds.), Agenda for Social Justice: Solutions for 2024, Policy
Press
Only as a last resort: Perceptions of police among gender, sexual, and relationally diverse (GSRD) BDSM / kink participants.
Author(s):
Stephen E. Ratcliff, Bryce Westlake Ph.D. & Alexandrea O’Neill
Those who engage in BDSM (bondage/discipline, domination/submission and sadism/masochism) activities may experience rare injury, physical/sexual assault, consent violation, etc. However, prior negative experiences with police coupled with the stigmatisation and in some country’s criminalisation of BDSM, may deter kink practitioners from seeking police assistance if needed. This may be increasingly true for Gender, Sexual and Relationship Diverse (GSRD) kink-involved individuals (e.g. LGBTQ+). Using mixed methods and an intersectionality and minority stress model framework, we surveyed 623 international self-identified BDSM participants, to explore their perceptions of police. Overall, GSRD participants (e.g. transgender) had greater negative perceptions of police inside and outside of BDSM-contexts compared to non-GSRD participants (e.g. cisgender, heterosexual). Within BDSM-contexts, participants felt that police were poorly educated about BDSM, viewed BDSM dynamics (e.g. dominant/submissive) negatively, did not take reports of consent violations seriously, and should play a minor role in kink communities. While some participants said they would contact police if there was evidence a severe crime was committed, they still expressed concerns and hesitancy. These included fears of judgement, discrimination, not being taken seriously and outing. Others explained a lack of trust in police and therefore would never seek police assistance, or only as a last resort. Nevertheless, participants recognised the existence of a poor relationship between police and kink communities, and a need to improve the relationship. Specific areas where BDSM/police relationships can be improved are discussed, including the use of collaborative officer education initiatives and on-going and future revisions to existing legal frameworks internationally.
Publishing information:
Ratcliff, S., Westlake, B., & O’Neill, A. (2024). Only as a last resort: Perceptions of police among gender, sexual, and relationally diverse (GSRD) BDSM / kink participants. Policing and Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2024.2435405.
Innovations from the launch of the child sexual abuse reduction research network.
Author(s):
Bryce G. Westlake Ph.D, Kathryn Seigfried-Spellar, Russell Brewer, Sarah Napier, Katie Logos, Julia Davidson
Publishing information:
Westlake, B. G., Seigfried-Spellar, K., Brewer, R., Napier, S., Logos, K., & Davidson, J. (2024). Innovations from the launch of the child sexual abuse reduction research network. Child Abuse & Neglect, 155, 1-2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106999
Benefits and risks of implementing cloud-based technology for child sexual abuse investigations in Australia.
Author(s):
Bryce Westlake Ph.D., Russell Brewer, Kellie Toole, Tom Daly, Thomas Swearingen, Scott Fletcher, Franco Ucci, Katie Logos
Transitioning to cloud-based infrastructure (CBI) for processing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) collected during police investigations could address resource challenges agencies currently face. While CBI provides quantifiable scalability and budgetary and inter-agency collaborative advantages, potential risks associated with data security, data sovereignty, and various legal and regulatory concerns may make agencies hesitant to make this transition. However, this paper demonstrates how a ‘shared responsibility model’ approach to cloud security can minimise risks, allowing investigators to take advantage of CBI benefits. In partnership with Oracle Corporation, we demonstrate how this could be implemented and continually monitored for new vulnerabilities within a CSAM context over time.
Publishing information:
Westlake, B., Brewer, R., Toole, K., Daly, T., Swearingen, T., Fletcher, S., Ucci, F., & Logos, K. (2024). Benefits and risks of implementing cloud-based technology for child sexual abuse investigations in Australia. Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, 699, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.52922/ti77550
BDSM safety in pornography: Its perceived accuracy and impact on practitioners’ safe word practices.
Author(s):
Bryce G. Westlake Ph.D.
Publishing information:
Westlake, B. (2024). BDSM safety in pornography: Its perceived accuracy and impact on practitioners’ safe word practices. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 53, 3475-3484. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-024-02967-6
2023
Native American and Indigenous Student Experience at San José State University
Author(s):
Kerri J. Malloy, Veneice Guillory-Lacy, Elisa Aquino, Soma De Bourbon, and Jodie A. Warren.
This study aimed to gather feedback from current and recently graduated Native American and Indigenous (NAI)1 Students about their experience at San Jose State University (SJSU). Specifically, this study focused on building a more welcoming environment at SJSU for NAI students. The study's findings are intended to inform strategies for addressing the graduation rates of Native American and Indigenous students, which are the lowest of an underrepresented minority group in higher education. Despite an unwelcoming environment and obstacles to graduation, NAI students have persisted in forming a community and obtaining services and space from the University.
Publishing information:
Kerri J. Malloy, Veneice Guillory-Lacy, Elisa Aquino, Soma De Bourbon, and Jodie A. Warren. "Native American and Indigenous Student Experience at San José State University" Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity (2023).
Trace DNA recovery rates from firearms and ammunition as revealed by casework data
Author(s):
Elisha Prasad, Lauren Atwood, Roland AH van Oorschot, Dennis McNevin, Mark Barash, Jennifer Raymond
Understanding casework DNA recovery rates per evidence type is crucial for advancing forensic methodologies and practices. This study assesses DNA recovery and profile data for 17 firearm parts (including cartridges, bullets and cases: CBCs) using New South Wales firearms casework data from 2015 to 2019. CBCs were further classified as shotgun or metallic cartridges and as unfired or fired. Quantitative data analysis showed that the least DNA was recovered from the hammer, safety and CBCs, while a single swab of multiple firearm parts resulted in the highest DNA recovery. Shotgun and unfired cartridges yielded more DNA than metallic and fired cartridge cases, respectively. Additionally, DNA collected from exhibits after fingerprinting yielded more DNA than exhibits sampled for DNA without any fingerprint examination.
Publishing information:
Prasad, E., Atwood, L., van Oorschot, R. A. H., McNevin, D., Barash, M., & Raymond, J. (2021). Trace DNA recovery rates from firearms and ammunition as revealed by casework data. Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences, 55(1), 73–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/00450618.2021.1939783
Getting the Runaround: Formerly Incarcerated Men and the Bureaucratic Barriers to Reentry
Author(s):
John Halushka
Getting the Runaround takes readers into the bureaucratic spaces of prisoner reentry, examining how returning citizens navigate the "institutional circuit" of parole offices, public assistance programs, rehabilitation facilities, shelters, and family courts. Drawing on three years of ethnographic fieldwork and forty-five in-depth interviews with formerly incarcerated men returning to New York City, John M. Halushka argues that the very institutions charged with facilitating the transition from incarceration to community life perversely undermine reintegration by imposing a litany of bureaucratic obstacles. This "runaround" is not merely a series of inconveniences but rather an extension of state punishment that exacerbates material poverty and diminishes citizenship rights. By telling the stories of men caught in vicious cycles of poverty, bureaucratic processing, and social control, Halushka demonstrates the urgent need to shift reentry away from an austerity-driven, compliance-based framework and toward a vision of social justice and inclusion.
Publishing information:
Halushka, John. 2023. Getting the Runaround: Formerly Incarcerated Men and the Bureaucratic Barriers to Reentry. Oakland: University of California Press
The Digital Detective: First Intervention
Author(s):
Tom Arnold
Cyber threats and cyber criminals indiscriminately target the old as well as young regardless of race, creed or origin. Teens and young adults must realize that on the Internet nobody knows you’re a rat. Digital Detective stories are a cross between truth and fiction and use real tools, techniques and procedures. The stories are based on real cyber cases. It’s a way for kids 10 and up to learn while they enjoy.
The Digital Detective: First Intervention is a coming-of-age, action-thriller as told by Jason Palmer (JP to friends and Palmer to others) and his energetic friend, Reba Ng.
We first meet Jason as a 30-something adult who’s been suspended from the US NSA for some dark reason. He’s bold, hardened, and an overconfident go-getter. This latter trait may be why he’s literally “on the beach”. He’s upset, feels inadequate and disappointed by how events in Bulgaria unfolded. Following therapist’s orders, he’s reviewing some of his old case journals and happens across the first-ever journal documenting his emergence into cyber forensics.
Publishing information:
Undocumented consciousness: Citizenship and illegality in the lives of US citizen youth
Author(s):
Gabriela Gonzalez
This paper examines the impact of immigration law on US citizens’ understanding of legal status categories. Prior research on legal consciousness has uncovered the ways in which undocumented persons make sense of and navigate their legal position in society. Less is known, however, about the paradox of US citizen children who are legally protected by their citizenship yet grow up in the context of their parents’ precarious immigration statuses. Drawing on interviews with US citizen youth and undocumented parents, I conceptualize the phenomenon of undocumented consciousness to explain how US citizens make sense of parental legal status vulnerability. By witnessing their parents’ blocked opportunities from work, travel, and other aspects of life, youth begin to attach meaning to citizenship and its protections, all the while forming an understanding of what it means, practically, to live in the United States with and without legal status. Findings reveal the mechanisms by which it is possible for functions of immigration law to have adverse impacts on the lives of US citizens themselves.
Publishing information:
Gonzalez, G. (2023). Undocumented Consciousness: Citizenship and Illegality in the Lives of US Citizen Youth. Law & Policy. 1-21
Wellbeing, Changes to Academic Behavior, and Resilience among Families Experiencing Parental Immigration Imprisonment.
Author(s):
Gabriela Gonzalez
While the deleterious impacts of parental incarceration are well documented, we know less about the experiences of children with parents imprisoned by immigration authorities. Wendraw from 62 multigenerational and multi-perspective interviews conducted in California with school-age children experiencing parental immigration imprisonment (PII), and their nondetained caregivers. We find that children experiencing PII report feelings and behaviors suggestive of significant psychological distress, which leads to changes in engagement and behavior at school. While some children access academic support and counseling, often following advocacy from nondetained parents or interventions by teachers, others do not receive such support. Many children conceal their family’s situation and withdraw from school-based programs—alarmingly, the very same structures that could support them through PII. These behaviors are rooted in compounded vulnerability, that is, children’s overlapping experiences of parents’ imprisonment and precarious immigration status. Our study provides strong descriptive evidence of the extensive harms of PII for children. These results should prompt immediate action from policymakers who can legislate an end to incarceration in immigration legal proceedings. Our findings can also inform efforts by educators and schools to better support children experiencing PII.
Publishing information:
Patler, C., and Gonzalez, G. (2023). Wellbeing, Changes to Academic Behavior, and Resilience among Families Experiencing Parental Immigration Imprisonment. American Behavioral Scientist. 1-18
Deconstructing the Power Dynamics of Prison Research.
Author(s):
Gabriela Gonzalez
This article examines methodological dilemmas surrounding entrée, emo- tion, and epistemology that can arise when conducting qualitative research in carceral settings. We address how our research team navigated consent and presentations of self for maintaining access; how they managed empathy and the emotional toll of conducting research in adversarial settings; and how conflicting narratives raised questions about data validity and knowledge construction. Analysis reveals how institutional power dynamics shape behind-the-scenes methodological decisions we make during fieldwork. Without open discussion, researchers risk perpetuating the opacity we seek to diffuse and replicating the power dynamics we aim to objectively document within total institutions.
Publishing information:
Barragan, M., Augustine, D., Gonzalez, G., and Reiter, K. (2023). Deconstructing the Power Dynamics of Prison Research. The Prison Journal. 1-22
An International Survey of BDSM Practitioner Demographics: The Evolution of Purpose for, Participation in, and Engagement with, Kink Activities
Author(s):
Bryce Westlake Ph.D, Isabella Mahan
While general proclivities for BDSM participation have been investigated in various countries, few large-scale studies have been conducted specifically with BDSM practitioners, which would allow for more in-depth analyses of participation. Through an online survey of 810 BDSM practitioners, the predictability of demographics and BDSM-related traits on the who, what, when, where, why, and how of BDSM participation were examined. Descriptive and regression analyses led to six findings. First, BDSM is practiced globally by a heterogeneous group. Second, learning about to participating in BDSM is a stepwise progression occurring over years. Third, pathways into BDSM vary with self-introduction, often as a form of sexual exploration, more common for adolescents, and friends/partners, and as a form of self-growth, more common for those introduced later in life. Fourth, historically viewed as sex-driven, few demographics predicted purpose for BDSM participation, while enjoyment/fun was the most common motivation. Fifth, practitioners participate in BDSM with multiple others beyond intimate partners, suggesting a communal element. Sixth, as a person gains more BDSM experience, their purpose/motivation evolves and the frequency and “risk” (i.e. edge-play) of activities participated in increases. Implications for further research into BDSM sub-culture are discussed, relating to the role of BDSM in sexual practice, sexual orientation, and leisure (hobby) activity identity formation, the impact of geographic, racial, and generational differences on participation, differing experiences of sexual and gender minorities (e.g. transgender, pansexual), and the importance of BDSM-specific measures, such as years of experience and occupying multiple BDSM-related roles, in analyses.
Publishing information:
Westlake, B., & Mahan, I. (2023). An international survey of BDSM practitioner demographics: The evolution of purpose for, participation in, and engagement with, kink activities. The Journal of Sex Research. http://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2023.2273266
Establishing a framework for the ethical and legal use of web scrapers by cybercrime and cybersecurity researchers: Learnings from a systematic review of Australian research.
Author(s):
Katie Logos, Russell Brewer, Colette Langos, Bryce Westlake Ph.D.
The Internet has become an increasingly attractive location for collecting data about cyber threats, driven by the abundance of quality data available and accessible online. As such, researchers and practitioners have turned to automated data collection technologies (ADCT), including ‘web crawlers’ and ‘web scrapers’, to study these threats. The rapid proliferation of ADCT has meant directions for their ethical and legal operation have been slow to adapt, with no clear guidelines regulating their use for research. This article identifies the relevant ethical and legal frameworks guiding the deployment of ADCT in Australia for cybersecurity research. This is accomplished through a systematic review of research within this context, coupled with ethical and jurisprudential analysis. We argue that the use of ADCT can be both ethical and legal, but only where mitigating measures are implemented. We provide a series of practical directions to guide researchers and practitioners when navigating this novel terrain.
Publishing information:
Logos, K., Brewer, R., Langos, C., & Westlake, B. (2023). Establishing a framework for the ethical and legal use of web scrapers by cybercrime and cybersecurity researchers: Learnings from a systematic review of Australian research. International Journal of Law and Information Technology, 31(3), 186-212. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijlit/eaad023
Using file and folder naming and structuring to improve automated detection of child sexual abuse images on the Dark Web.
Author(s):
Bryce Westlake Ph.D, Enrique Guerra
Increasing dissemination of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), especially on the Dark Web, has necessitated greater reliance on automated detection tools. These tools typically match images and videos to known CSAM databases, which is an ineffective method for identifying unknown CSAM. To identify potential complimentary methods, we analysed 162 unique known images, displayed 7289 times on 988 Dark Web websites, to determine if patterns in file/folder naming and structuring tendencies existed on websites. Overall, websites prioritised organisation (ease of access) over obfuscation (security) and hosted almost all images they displayed. File/folder names were commonly alphanumeric, however, there was evidence of sequence file naming patterns. Webpages displaying CSAM were explicitly named, often using underage and/or incest-related keywords. Structuring patterns revealed presence of website copies (mirrors) which can impede effective CSAM removal. Recommendations for supplementing automated detection techniques are discussed.
Publishing information:
Westlake, B., & Guerra, E. (2023). Using file and folder naming and structuring to improve automated detection of child sexual abuse images on the Dark Web. Forensic Science International: Digital Investigation, 47(December), 301620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsidi.2023.301620
Advancing child sexual abuse investigations using biometrics and social network analysis.
Author(s):
Russell Brewer, Bryce Westlake, Thomas Swearingen, Stephen Patterson, David Bright, Arun Ross, Katie Logos, Dana Michalski
This paper demonstrates how biometric features can be extracted from people in child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and examined using social network analysis to reveal important patterns across seized media files. Using an automated software system previously developed by the research team (the Biometric Analyser and Network Extractor), we extract, match and plot multiple biometric attributes (face and voice) from a database of CSAM videos compiled by law enforcement. We apply a series of network measures to illustrate how the biometric match data can be used to rapidly pinpoint key media files associated with an investigation, without the need for an investigator to manually review and catalogue all files. Future directions for this research are also discussed.
Publishing information:
Brewer, R., Westlake, B., Swearingen, T., Patterson, S., Bright, D., Ross, A., Logos, K., & Michalski, D. (2023). Advancing child sexual abuse investigations using biometrics and social network analysis. Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, 668, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.52922/ti78948
Critical review, Forensic Science International: Genetics,(2023)
Author(s):
Mark Barash, Dennis McNevin, Vladimir Fedorenko, Pavel Giverts
Machine learning (ML) is a range of powerful computational algorithms capable of generating predictive models via intelligent autonomous analysis of relatively large and often unstructured data. ML has become an integral part of our daily lives with a plethora of applications, including web, business, automotive industry, clinical diagnostics, scientific research, and more recently, forensic science.
Publishing information:
2022
3D Facial Biometric Verification Using a DNA Sample for Law Enforcement Applications
Author(s):
Niraj Pandkar, Teng-Sheng Moh, Mark Barash
A large majority of violent crimes such as homicides, sexual assaults, and missing person cases are not solved within a reasonable timeframe and become cold cases. The ability to predict a person’s facial appearance from a DNA sample may generate important investigative leads and provide an unprecedented advancement in criminal investigations. To achieve the above goal, it is first essential to substantiate, model and measure the intrinsic relationship between the genomic markers and phenotypic features. In the first step, we have standardized the 3D face scans using a widely used 3D data format - CoMA. The standardization was followed by its projection into a low-dimensional latent embedding space. The second step was to reduce the dimensionality of the genetic space. The dimensionality reduction was achieved by performing Principal Component Analysis on the genomic markers to generate compact genomic properties. A simple multi-layer perceptron was trained to classify an ensemble of facial embeddings and genomic properties into genuine and imposter pairings. The classification model could match the DNA with the given 3D face with an average Area Under the Curve score of 0.73. The introduction of hand-picked genomic markers was an important contribution toward improving the final AUC score. Furthermore, results indicated that incorporating additional phenotypical properties such as sex and age leads to better verification. Thus, this study represents an important milestone toward building a functional machine learning pipeline capable of predicting facial appearance and other visible traits from a DNA sample.
Publishing information:
N. Pandkar, T. -S. Moh and M. Barash, "3D Facial Biometric Verification Using a DNA Sample for Law Enforcement Applications," 2022 IEEE/WIC/ACM International Joint Conference on Web Intelligence and Intelligent Agent Technology (WI-IAT), Niagara Falls, ON, Canada, 2022, pp. 715-722, doi: 10.1109/WI-IAT55865.2022.00114.
Touch DNA recovery from unfired and fired cartridges: comparison of swabbing, tape lifting and soaking
Author(s):
Elisha Prasad, Catherine Hitchcock, Jennifer Raymond, Andrew Cole, Mark Barash, Dennis McNevin, Roland AH van Oorschot
Over the recent few years, several DNA collection techniques and methodologies have been published for the recovery of DNA from fired cartridge cases. In this study, swabbing, the DNA collection technique currently used in our jurisdiction (NSW, Australia), was compared with tape lifting and soaking to assess DNA recovery rates, DNA quality and profile quality. Brass .22LR and 9mmP cartridges were used as they are the most commonly encountered in our jurisdiction. The cartridges (n = 107) were loaded into cleaned firearm magazines by three volunteers of unknown shedder status, to mimic routine casework sample types. Half of the handled cartridges were fired whilst the other half were kept unfired. STR genotypes were produced at both 29 and 30 PCR cycles to evaluate which improved handler allele detection.
Publishing information:
Elisha Prasad, Catherine Hitchcock, Jennifer Raymond, Andrew Cole, Mark Barash, Dennis McNevin, Roland A.H. van Oorschot, Touch DNA recovery from unfired and fired cartridges: Comparison of swabbing, tape lifting and soaking, Forensic Science International, Volume 330, 2022, 111101, ISSN 0379-0738, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2021.111101.
Developing automated methods to detect and match face and voice biometrics in child sexual abuse videos.
Author(s):
Bryce Westlake, Russell Brewer, Thomas Swearingen, Arun Ross, Stephen Patterson, Dana Michalski, Martyn Hole, Katie Logos, Richard Frank, David Bright, Erin Afana
The proliferation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is outpacing law enforcement’s ability to address the problem. In response, investigators are increasingly integrating automated software tools into their investigations. These tools can detect or locate files containing CSAM, and extract information contained within these files to identify both victims and offenders.
Software tools using biometric systems have shown promise in this area but are limited in their utility due to a reliance on a single biometric cue (namely, the face). This research seeks to improve current investigative practices by developing a software prototype that uses both faces and voices to match victims and offenders across CSAM videos. This paper describes the development of this prototype and the results of a performance test conducted on a database of CSAM. Future directions for this research are also discussed.
Publishing information:
Westlake, B., Brewer, R., Swearingen, T., Ross, A., Patterson, S., Michalski, D., Hole, M., Logos, K., Frank, R., Bright, D., & Afana, E. (2022). Developing automated methods to detect and match face and voice biometrics in child sexual abuse videos. Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, 648, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.52922/ti78566
Social Structures and Penal Change: Marxist Critiques of Punishment in Late Capitalism.
Author(s):
Alessandro De Giorgi Ph.D.
Publishing information:
De Giorgi, A. (2022) Social Structures and Penal Change: Marxist Critiques of Punishment in Late Capitalism. The SAGE Handbook of Marxism.
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