Virginia Beach Child Pornography Lawyer

Defense Against Child Pornography Charges

There are few charges that carry a social stigma like those of child pornography. If you are convicted of any such crime, your life could be changed forever. Just being charged with such a crime can damage your professional and personal reputation. If convicted, these sex crimes can limit the type of work you get in the future, and even the location where you are allowed to be present or live, prohibit you from going on or near school property even for your own child, and will require registration as a sex offender for life as part of the penalty.

At McCormack & McCormack, we are ready to fight for your rights and determine a strategy for your defense. Call our sex crime defense lawyers from our firm for an aggressive defender. Many offenses involving child pornography will be handled in Federal court. Federal Sentencing Guidelines for child pornography offenses routinely call for sentences involving significant confinement. Your attorney must be highly experienced in handling the offenses in both state and Federal court. Our attorneys have successfully secured acquittals and on cases involving guilty pleas, sentences significantly lower than the recommended sentencing guidelines in child pornography cases.

What is Child Pornography?

Child pornography could come in many forms, and could be any sort of media that portrays an appearance that the person depicted less than 18 years of age and involved in sexually explicit conduct.

Sexting

A problem we frequently encounter is that of school children “sexting” with other children – that will be considered as distribution of child pornography if the images or videos meet the criteria of being sexually explicit. The impact upon that child’s life after prosecution for child pornography offense will be literally unthinkable.

File Sharing

The truth is that innocent people can be charged with child pornography offenses. The utilization of file sharing or “peer to peer” programs can not only result in the inadvertent download of child pornography, but can also lead to distribution charges because they didn't realize they were engaging in distribution by the simple act of engaging in "file sharing" which effectively opens their computer up to any search of another person. Law enforcement agencies routinely search for child pornography using these file sharing programs.

What are the Penalties for Possession of Child Pornography?

In the Virginia court system, any person who is convicted of knowing possession of child pornography faces up to five years in prison for the first offense (first photograph or video), and up to ten years for subsequent conviction. Each photograph or video can be charged as subsequent offenses which can literally mean the person could be sent to prison for a term well in excess of the remaining years of life. Also, any person who is accused of reproducing, selling or in any way distributes any such material could face penalties that include 5 to 20 years in prison for the first offense, again subject to significant increases in prison time for subsequent offenses. In the Federal court system, sentencing guidelines call for extremely severe sentences.

Protect Your Freedom - Call McCormack & McCormack

With such serious consequences possible, it is vital that you contact our firm immediately if you have been charged with child pornography, or if Virginia or Federal law enforcement have executed a search warrant on your residence. We have the experience and proven record you want on your side. Call now.