can you trace an email

[jlee]

Someone has sent a work colleague compromising pictures of his gf. Is there any way to find out an ip address off a hotmail address?

[jlee]

Do police take this seriously? Would they go to the trouble to trace the sender?

[jlee]

can you force an isp to give you the information? By law / court etc?
I'm unsure as to the picture content but believe it was candid pictures she took for her bf etc