Defense Against Child Pornography Charges From An Experienced Grand Rapids Attorney
You don’t have to be involved with the production or distribution of child porn to face child pornography charges. Just having images of someone under the age of 18 on your computer or cellphone is a serious criminal offense, punishable by up to 20 years of prison and registration as a sex offender.
I am Grand Rapids child pornography defense lawyer James Champion. If you have been charged with possession or distribution of child porn in western Michigan, I offer a free initial consultation to discuss your case and possible defenses.
How You Were Charged With Possession Of Child Porn
Sex crimes involving children often result from sting operations in which police monitor Internet sites hosting child pornography and track visitors through the IP address of their computers. If you visit a site and inadvertently click on a link, you can be in a world of trouble even if all you did was accidentally click on a link. You may delete the images as soon as you see them, but the images will be stored on your computer and can be retrieved by investigators.
Criminal charges can also result from having images of someone under the age of 18 on your cellphone. It’s not unusual for students in high school or younger to face child pornography charges for sexting — transmitting pictures or videos taken of a boyfriend or girlfriend using a cellphone camera.
Child pornography can be charged as a federal offense. Several years ago, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began tracking child porn originating from China, Russia and other nations. Today they are prosecuting people who view those images, intentionally or accidentally, in the United States.
Defenses To Your Charges Involving Minors
There are many paths we can examine to build a defense in your case depending on the unique facts. For some individuals, it was another person who was using their computer to look up the indecent photos. For others, it could be an inadvertent click that went to a website that they did not mean to go to. You could also receive an image from another individual that you did not request and did not know was coming to you.
There are other defenses as well, but everything will depend on the specifics of your case. Speaking with an attorney is the best way to know what can be done to minimize the charges you face.
Talk To An Experienced Child Pornography Defense Lawyer Now. It’s Free.
Call my Grand Rapids law office Law Office of James K. Champion, PLLC, at 888-723-0075 to schedule a free consultation regarding your Internet sex crimes relating to minors. You can also schedule a consultation by filling out our online contact form. Either way, we will sit down with you in a confidential consultation to explain your rights and establish a plan for moving forward.