This case study further exemplifies how digital evidence should always be corroborated, verified whenever possible, and certainly never taken at face value.
The defendant in the case was charged with serious offences under telecommunications legislation relating to sending a text message to the defendant's father, claiming that a bomb would detonate at the school attended by one of the defendant's siblings. The threat was reported to the local police, who in turn evacuated the school as a safety measure. A search of the school confirmed that the threat was probably a hoax, but it still was a very serious matter. Unfortunately, these hoaxes are all too common, and, in light of attacks on schools by extortionists, extremists, and persons with serious mental health issues, are always taken seriously by law enforcement and affected parties. However, they are so frequent that one can hardly blame first responders from occasionally adopting a blas...