In a first for Illinois, State’s Attorney James Glasgow purchased CACHE (pronounced cash), a 75-pound Black Labrador who is specially trained to detect hidden electronic devices. Cache is a member of the State’s Attorney’s Office High Technology Crimes Unit, which Glasgow created in 2012 to track down and prosecute those who produce, distribute and/or download child pornography on the Internet. State’s Attorney Glasgow used funds seized from criminal activities to cover the cost of Cache, his training, and his dog supplies.
High Technology Crimes Unit investigators can identify Internet Protocol Addresses used to download or transmit child pornography and then identify suspects. However, in an effort to throw off investigators, suspects will hide tiny SD cards or other digital storage devices inside what are often extremely cluttered houses or apartments, many of which could be featured in the TV show “Hoarders.” Cache helps Will County investigators find the proverbial “needle in the haystack” during the execution of search warrants. Once found, the devices can be inspected on site for child pornography by highly trained forensic investigators.
Cache can detect the chemicals in electronic devices, not the content that is stored inside them. This means that he has been called out to locate these devices in many other law enforcement situations as well.