Nigel Hardacre, MSc, is a Digital Forensic Investigator for Lancashire Constabulary, and joins us to talk about Digital Forensics in Law Enforcement. Digital forensic science is the process of obtaining, analysing and using digital evidence in investigations or criminal proceedings.

Digital evidence ranges from images of child sexual exploitation to the location of a mobile phone. This seminar looks at how Digital forensics can be used to gather evidence in many criminal investigations, reviews how legislation on agencies’ powers to access communications is being debated and efforts to address challenges faced by practitioners.

During the seminar, Nigel will review the Sadie Hartley murder (Operation Kinross), and highlights how the digital side was so important in this case with the CCTV, phone, computer, open source, cell siting etc. For those wanting to review some of highlights of the case, you are able to watch the video “The murder of Sadie Hartley - Lancashire Police” here on YouTube.

Please note: The video contains content that you may find disturbing. The video has been created by Lancashire Police shared with Rock FM on how they carried out the investigation into Sadie Hartley's murder. Sadie was found dead at her home in Helmshore, Rossendale in January 2016 - She'd been shot with a stun gun and then stabbed to death. Rock FM's news coverage of the murder features in this video report as well as interviews with Sadie Hartley's family.

Biography:

Nigel is a Digital Forensic Investigator, who joined Lancashire Constabulary in 2000 starting as an assistant finance officer at the Training Centre, Hutton and quickly moving into the ICT department as an IT Liaison Officer for the Operations Division. From 2008, he has worked as a forensic computer technician in the Hi Tech Crime unit, now rebranded as DMIU (Digital Media Investigation Unit). He has recently graduated at University College Dublin with a Master of Science in Forensic Computing and Cyber Crime Investigation, and has delivered talks on Computer Forensics to students at Blackburn College and UCLAN in 2018. A level 3 NVQ in Education and Training has also been completed to further develop the experience and skills in DMIU as the unit continues to expand.