Caroline Moses reports:
It may be hard to believe, but personal information on rape victims in Tennessee is online for anyone to find. Their names, addresses and sometimes even family members’ names are all listed, along with details of the crimes committed against them.
The Channel 4 I-Team found officials, from police officers to Davidson County’s district attorney, said it’s just wrong.
With a simple Internet search, anyone in Tennessee can find out information on sexual assault victims from across the state. Even Davidson County’s district attorney said it’s outrageous that this information is online — especially when you learn who put it there.
[…]
The I-Team also uncovered dozens of cases where the state appellate court posted victims’ full names, their parents’ names, even their addresses — and in some cases, the victims were minors.
Why?
The courts are not required by statute to omit names of sexual assault victims and minors from opinions posted on the state’s website. A spokeswoman from the administrative office of the courts said they do have an unwritten policy to use first names and initials instead of full names.
But the I-Team found that clearly isn’t happening.
Read more on WSMV.