A multi-factor knuckle and nail bed verification tool for forensic imagery analysis

• Published in: Child abuse & neglect Vol. 154; p. 106910
• Main Authors: Santopietro, Marco, Guest, Richard, Seigfried-Spellar, Kathryn C., Elliott, Stephen J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2024
• Subjects: Biometric identification; Biometric Identification - methods; Child; Child Abuse, Sexual; Criminals - psychology; Female; Forensic investigative tool; Forensic Sciences - methods; Hand; Hands; Hong Kong; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted - methods; Knuckles; Machine Learning; Male; Nails; Online child sexual exploitation; Photography - methods; Reproducibility of Results; Hong Kong; Hands; Knuckles; Biometric identification; Online child sexual exploitation; Forensic investigative tool
• ISSN: 0145-2134; 1873-7757; 1873-7757
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106910

The grooming process involves sexually explicit images or videos sent by the offender to the minor. Although offenders may try to conceal their identity, these sexts often include hand, knuckle, and nail bed imagery. We present a novel biometric hand verification tool designed to identify online child sexual exploitation offenders from images or videos based on biometric/forensic features extracted from hand regions. The system can match and authenticate hand component imagery against a constrained custody suite reference of a known subject by employing advanced image processing and machine learning techniques. We conducted experiments on two hand datasets: Purdue University and Hong Kong. In particular, the Purdue dataset collected for this study allowed us to evaluate the system performance on various parameters, with specific emphasis on camera distance and orientation. To explore the performance and reliability of the biometric verification models, we considered several parameters, including hand orientation, distance from the camera, single or multiple fingers, architecture of the models, and performance loss functions. Results showed the best performance for pictures sampled from the same database and with the same image capture conditions. The authors conclude the biometric hand verification tool offers a robust solution that will operationally impact law enforcement by allowing agencies to investigate and identify online child sexual exploitation offenders more effectively. We highlight the strength of the system and the current limitations.