Arrest, Search, Seizure, Warrant Illegal Computer Search?

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kiup

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Here is a question.

Traveling through an airport in the USA. Accidently left my laptop at a security check point. It had my business card, and contact info securly attached to the top of it in Plain View. Homeland Security infoms me they have my laptop and have turned it over to the airport police lost and found (thier policy) Airport police officer turns on computer and finds nude images from a photo workshop attended a couple days earlier. They call me and say that my computer will not be returned to me cause there is "porn" on it. I politely inform him I am a photographer, and have model releases for the images. Officer calls FBI to view contents, FBI views contents and the computer is returned to me.

Did this officer Illegally search this computer. Does a person have an expectation of privacy if an item is lost?
 
It depends on if this was obviously a work computer. Otherwise, it sounds like an illegal search to me.
 
Well, then it can't really be put as a direct assault on your privacy, but it certainly wasn't illegal for you to have the porn on the computer.

I think people are just jerks these days.
 
Probable Cause

A search may indeed be in order if the computer was left in an area that could be a threat to airport security.

However, the search still requires the 4th amendment standard.

An unyeilding search even one based on a search warrent, may still indeed be a criminal violation of 18 USC 242 "Police Misconduct"

And per the U.S. Supreme Court, Nudity does not constitute porn.
Porn is defined by Supreme Court definition.
 
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