A recent Washington Post article asks readers what does someone who looks at child pornography look like. In the modern age of technology, almost everyone has access to the internet, whether it’s through their own computer, a smart phone, or a public kiosk.
Let’s get something straight – child pornography is vile and disgusting. It forever memorializes a moment in time that will indelibly scar a child in a way that will last for the rest of their life. As a former prosecutor of child pornography cases who had to review too many images than I care to remember in order to charge cases, and as a defense attorney who has likely defended more child pornography cases than any criminal defense attorney in the State of Arizona, I can say with certainty how disturbing the images are – no matter how many of them you have seen.
So knowing how repugnant these images are, the fair question to be asked is why I represent people charged with child pornography offenses in Phoenix (that’s not to say that I have not and will not travel around the United States to represent a client if a case raises an interesting issue).
Child Pornography Penalties in Arizona
Arizona treats possession, distribution or virtually any other act involving child pornography as a dangerous crime against children and mandates a penalty of 10-24 years in prison per image.
– That’s just stupid.
While there is certainly something not right with you if you are looking at child pornography as the Washington Post article points out, there is no definitive correlation between viewing child pornography and committing a future ‘hands on’ offense against a child.
People who look at child pornography come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. They have white collar jobs and they have blue collar jobs. Many are parents and would not dream of hurting their own children, but due to either a disconnect or some strange curiosity (which I will never get) they find themselves looking at child pornography.
Accidental Child Pornography Download
Of late, most people get caught by using torrents or file sharing software to download child pornography. Some are not even looking for it, but in the flood of files that are mass downloaded, centuries of prison time are stored to a users computer.
People don’t realize that they often allow the software to act as a file server for other users. Law enforcement uses this software to find people with available uploads of child pornography on their computer. From there, it’s a simple matter of tracing an IP address, getting a judge’s signature on a search warrant, and watching your front door get knocked off its hinges at 6:00 a.m. by police.
Protect Your Future! Call a Phoenix Criminal Defense Lawyer Today.
Child pornography is no joke. It can land you in prison for a very long time. If you or someone you know is charged and want to hire a Phoenix child pornography defense attorney now is the time to contact us for a personal consultation.