Federal Agents Ditch Polygraph, Use Computer Voice Stress Analyzer to Take Down Sex Offenders

Newest Study Finds the Computer Voice Stress Analyzer® to Be 98% Accurate

In a study published in the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, researchers found that a technology that has replaced the polygraph and is now used by over 3,000 law enforcement agencies was nearly 100% accurate in determining when suspects were lying during interviews concerning child sexual abuse. According to NITV Federal Services, the manufacturer of the technology, a similar 2012 study that was published in the Scientific Journal Criminalistics and Court Expertisealso utilizing real-life criminal cases, found the technology’s accuracy to be slightly above 96%.

Federal Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces use a device called the Computer Voice Stress Analyzer® (CVSA®) as a form of truth verification, to analyze a suspect’s denials to questions during an interview. The ICAC agents normally set up the CVSA, which is a laptop computer and a clip-on microphone with the CVSA software installed, in a spare bedroom of the takedown house or in the Tactical interview van located off-premises, where the suspect has traveled expecting to find a child he has been communicating with.

After the suspect has been questioned and has given the standard responses “I was only coming here to warn them that they shouldn’t be doing this” or “This is my first time doing this”, they are offered the opportunity to take a CVSA exam to confirm their statements. Almost all agreed. They are then taken into the room with the awaiting CVSA examiner who asks them a series of questions concerning unreported child sexual abuse. The instrument analyzes their responses and indicates where they were being truthful and, most importantly, where they were not.

In the Conclusion section of the study, the authors write “Compellingly, 100% of voice stress analysis “Stress Indicated” examinations resulted in verifiable disclosures (of victims and sex crimes). Critically, as a result of voice stress analysis procedures, 87 previously undiscovered live victims were identified.”

It is important to note that the difference between an offender being off of the street when being caught in this type of sting without admitting to live victims, and those who admit live victims, was a 5-10- years difference in prison sentences, with some receiving life sentences for victims that were too young to speak or too scared to tell anyone of the abuse.

Also, countless electronic devices containing undetected child exploitation images were confessed to and seized based on the suspect’s own confessions. 

For more information on utilizing the CVSA in ICAC investigations, or for more information on the Computer Voice Stress Analyzer, manufactured by NITV Federal Services, call 888-266-7263, email: Sales@cvsa1.com, or visit CVSA1.com.

For official press release, please click here.