Police seize computers of BDSM webcam site operator

The Hartford-Courant reports that police forcibly searched the home of a woman who operated a commercial BDSM webcam site. They confiscated her computers and other belongings in an investigation for unspecified crimes:

Deputy Chief Carl Sferrazza said the Montano Road house was searched in November and that no charges have been filed against the woman, Michelle Silva. He would not say what kind of criminal activity is being investigated. Sferrazza said investigators seized computers along with a number of other items, which he would not specify.

He said police started investigating Silva early this year after neighbors complained of suspicious activity that included lots of traffic and people often coming to the house at night. Sferrazza said neighbors also saw a number of cars with out-of-state license plates. The computers are being examined at state police forensic computer lab. Sferrazza said the outcome of that examination will determine what police do next.

Silva said she obeyed all local and state laws in running the website and said the search violated her rights.

Link to story. And here is "Empress M"'s website. NSFW, duh. (Thanks, DJ Beatdonkadonk, via )

[#1 posted by kcolumnist , December 13, 2007 3:58 AM]

I was unaware that cars with out of state license plates were illegal.

Also didnt know people coming into their own home at night was a crime. Does Enfield, CT have a curfew or something?

I have been following the case of Empress M since the beginning and it appears that Enfield's Chief of Police Carl Sferrazza has changed his story several times as to why this raid had occured.

To those who are new to this story, the Enfield, CT Police raided the home of a woman and live-in boyfriend with out an explanation and more importantly, without showing then a warrant.

This incident then had a chilling effect on many adult content webmasters who are required to display their legal names as pursuit to U.S.C 2257.
It does lighten up for Empress M though, along with dismissing all of the charges, a CT Superior Court Judge has decided Empress M can run her legal First Amendment protected business anywhere in The State of CT, provided it's in a commercial location.