A criminal record and arrest history can damage your online reputation, no question about it. Arrest records, mugshots and police reports pop up online often, and many people are left to deal with the potentially harmful consequences. For those who have been convicted with a felony, a misdemeanour or charged and not convicted at all, their encounters with the law will be displayed over the internet. Along with police records being posted online, if local or national newspapers have published charges it can be extremely difficult to repair ones reputation.

How to restore your online reputation if your criminal charges have been posted online or in print?

Having your name published in a criminal case can be a stressful and harmful event. Many people are overwhelmed and at a loss, not knowing what to do. If your name has been mentioned in a criminal arrest or conviction, don’t fret. There are options available, although most people are unaware that these services exist. The best steps to take to repair your online reputation depend on the individual and their personal needs. Depending on the nature of the crime, the timeline since the arrest/publication, and the extent of the media coverage there are several factors that need to be taken into consideration.

Criminal Record Pardon/ Expungement

Depending on your Country, State or Province you may be eligible for criminal record expungement. Many Countries have policies in place that aim at forgiving people of their past criminal offenses. Typically there are a number of variables that are taken into account when it comes to government-run programs dealing with criminal pardons. There’s usually a timeline of several years after conviction that must be waited out before applying for a criminal record pardon. Talk to a lawyer, or look into your State/ Provincial laws for more information.

Content Suppression & Content Removal

If you are not able to expunge your criminal record, your next best option is to supress or remove any traces of your unwanted online content. This, however, is a complicated and potentially costly way to fix your online reputation. While many newspapers, mugshot sites and criminal record databases which publish peoples criminal arrests are able to remove details of criminal cases, they usually will comply if there is a heavy legal reason to do so (e.g. a lawyer contacting them on your behalf).

There are two main routes that can be taken, content suppression and content removal. Content suppression is when your unwanted online content is ‘pushed down’ from search engine results. If you type in your name and the first three search results are about your arrest record, mugshot or police record, content suppression services will push them down so they are not the fist thing that you see. However, with content suppression services your content is still visible online, just further down the page. Content suppression is also only a temporary fix, as it will come back to the top page of search results in time. People who opt for content suppression are constantly having to pay for more services.

The best solution to repair your reputation and remove your mugshot or criminal/arrest record- Content removal

Content removal is the most effective option to repair your online reputation, hands down. Content removal is a rare and highly technical service that is not offered by most reputation management companies. Content removal is when your unwanted criminal record, mugshot or police arrest record is completely removed from the internet- permanently. That’s right! Completely removed from the internet. Most people are shocked to discover that anything can be removed from the world-wide-web, but it’s true.