This case, State of Washington v. Donald Theodore Townsend, addresses the privacy of e-mail and instant message (IM) communication in a police sting operation involving an adult and a fictitious minor. Townsend’s messages were stored on a police officer’s PC, printed, and used as evidence. The court determined that Townsend’s messages were not covered under the state’s privacy statute on intercepting, recording, or divulging private communication, RCW 9.73.030(1)(a).
See the article article from the Seattle Post Intelligencer on this case here.