Catching a Cheater with Text Messages

Q: I recently heard of a product called TextGuard. It’s a text filtering service that can block unwanted text messages and monitor all incoming and outgoing text messages. TextGuard even stores and archives all texts on a secure server for future retrieval. Can a product like TextGuard help me find out if my spouse is cheating or catch them in the act? Can it be used in court?

A: As our world of technology evolves digitally, the federal statute for electronic eavesdropping remains the constant rule of law to protect U.S. citizens. Electronic gear, when used legally and ethically, affords parents and consenting individuals, a method to verify their suspicions. However, any method to collect information or evidence must be accomplished legally. Parents desiring to detect, deter and diffuse potentially unwanted conditions or relationships is their purgative.

Yet, a choice to violate federal laws, using this software or any other device impedes on our right to privacy. This product, when used illegally, is no different than attaching a tape recorder to a phone system. The issue is one of permissibility.

The most common threat to privacy stems from troubled relationships where a spouse feels compelled to get "dirt" on their spouses. After all, producing a wayward phone conversation is the fast lane to proving a "romantic" or an extramarital relationship. However, in all U.S. states this effort is illegal. If victims consider living above the law, a felony charge can result. The end does not always justify the means!

Bill Mitchell is a 35-year veteran private investigator and author of “The More You Know - Getting the Evidence and Support You Need to Investigate a Troubled Relationship.” For more information about the book and services, visit http://www.sevendaydetective.com.