The Seattle Police Department's expertise in forensic science played a critical role in apprehending a suspect involved in disturbing criminal activities. The SPD's Automated Fingerprint Identification System Units, known as AFIS Units, identified a suspect in an Internet Crimes Against Children Unit investigation after two individuals discovered binders filled with Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) in a dumpster on Queen Anne Avenue North, according to the Seattle Police Department.
Manager Dawn Quaale of AFIS Operations Forensic Support Services highlighted the importance and efficiency of the AFIS Units, stating, "We have a great impact. There’s times where our examiners provided the only lead in the case. So, we also free up resources in time for law enforcement officers at a time when they’re already understaffed and they have a plethora of other responsibilities," as reported by the Seattle Police Department. Quaale's team encompasses roughly 36 individuals working across three units to support myriad investigations within the SPD.
The suspect, during questioning, admitted to disposing of the CSAM and also revealed a history of child molestation dating back to his teenage years, predating his arrest in 1983. His statement suggested that no further incidents occurred after that year, but the ICAC Unit continues its investigation, looking for potential additional victims. Regarding technology advancement, Quaale believes the field has vastly improved, making it possible to process and analyze prints with greater precision and accuracy. "We now have highly-detailed scanners where we can scan in a lift card and then we can use the known prints from the AFIS database to perform analysis in like a digital software program, like Photoshop where we can use digital markers and charting, and then we can preserve every detail of our analysis, of the minutia we’re marking and why we feel like this is the correct decision," she observed, per the Seattle Police Department.
Individuals with information about the ongoing investigation can contact detectives through the tip line email address provided by the SPD: [email protected], referencing incident number 2025-057676.
