Website Forensic Analysis on Application X for Online Prostitution Cases using National Institute of Justice Method

The increasing use of social media has made communication easier but also opened opportunities for misuse, such as online prostitution.The web-based X application is one of the platforms exploited by perpetrators to operate covertly.This study aims to obtain digital evidence to support investigations by uncovering traces of the perpetrator's activities through forensic analysis.The method applied follows the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) model, which consists of five stages: preparation, collection, examination, analysis, and reporting.Data collection was carried out through the acquisition of digital data from the perpetrator's device, followed by the examination of metadata, cache, and hidden files.The analysis focused on conversations, uploaded images, and activity history on the X application.The results show that FTK Imager successfully revealed the perpetrator's username and four promotional text posts.Browser History Examiner extracted access history to X, two deleted images, and one transfer proof image.HxD recovered 19 deleted conversations, including price negotiations and bank account details.These findings confirm that digital forensic approaches are effective in supporting the investigation and substantiation of web-based social media crimes.