Case type: Criminal and civil

Client: Law firm specializing in family and criminal law

Parties involved: Victim v. Ex-spouse

Mandate given to Firme H2E:

Document data theft and trace the distribution of private documents

Duration: 20 business days

Context

During an acrimonious divorce, a businesswoman from the Laval area discovered that her ex-spouse had accessed her personal computer and cloud storage account without authorization.

He had downloaded intimate photos, confidential professional emails, and personal financial documents. Some photos had been anonymously shared with colleagues and family members.

Confidential emails regarding a business transaction had also been transmitted to a competitor, causing considerable emotional distress and professional repercussions.

The victim’s lawyer retained Firme H2E to document the extent of the data theft, authenticate the origin of the leaks, and produce a report usable in both criminal and civil proceedings.

Firme H2E Intervention

Step 1

Unauthorized Access Analysis

  • Extracted login logs from cloud storage account (Google Drive)
  • Identified login sessions from devices not recognized by the victim
  • Correlated IP addresses with the ex-spouse (Internet provider, geolocation)
  • Analyzed personal computer: traces of unauthorized physical access, spyware detected
Step 2

Distribution Tracing

  • Forensic analysis of anonymous emails received by colleagues (SMTP headers, origin)
  • Examined EXIF metadata of distributed photos: match with original files
  • Identified temporary accounts used for sending (disposable addresses)
  • Reconstructed distribution chain: download → local storage → anonymous sending
Step 3

Comprehensive Expert Report

  • Detailed documentation of each unauthorized access with timestamp
  • Proof of correspondence between stolen files and distributed files (SHA-256 hashes)
  • Visual event timeline
  • Report drafted for dual use: criminal proceedings (ss. 162.1 and 342.1 C.C.) and civil proceedings
Result

Firme H2E’s report enabled the filing of a criminal complaint for voyeurism and non-consensual distribution of intimate images, as well as unauthorized access to a computer system.

The ex-spouse was charged, and the case is awaiting trial. In parallel, the report was used in divorce proceedings to demonstrate abusive behavior.

An injunction was issued prohibiting any further distribution of stolen material.

Key Takeaways
  • Non-consensual sharing of intimate images has been a crime in Canada since 2015 (s. 162.1 C.C.)
  • Metadata and digital fingerprints can link distributed files to their original source
  • A rigorous forensic report can simultaneously serve criminal and civil proceedings
Tools Used
  • Magnet AXIOM (computer and cloud account analysis)
  • SMTP header analysis (email tracing)
  • ExifTool (photo metadata)
  • SHA-256 for file matching
  • Google Workspace log analysis
  • Integrated timeline (Firme H2E)

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