Bethesda Child Pornography Lawyer

Patrolling the internet for child pornography is a law enforcement priority in Bethesda. There have been many crackdowns on the possession and distribution of child pornography. A Bethesda child pornography lawyer can help ensure someone is released while waiting for trial, can try to obtain the best result possible, can address any defenses or highlight any issues or defects in the way a person was charged or being prosecuted and can put on a defense to try to obtain an optimal result. There are several benefits to seeking a knowledgeable sex crimes lawyer.

Child Pornography Charges

Child pornography is possession of images, videos, or other media that depicts minors engaged in sexual acts or nude for a prurient intent. There are two types of law surrounding child pornography. There is possession of child pornography and possession with intent to distribute child pornography as well as the distribution of child pornography. Possession is a misdemeanor whereas distribution or possession with intent to distribute is considered a felony.

Distinguishing Aspects of the Charge

Child pornography is a type of charge that most of the individuals who face it have no criminal history or criminal record and are otherwise law-abiding individuals. They are frequently gainfully employed, middle-class people who find themselves downloading or going to file-sharing sites online from the privacy of their home computer. These individuals consummate the entire criminal act from the confines of their own living room or bedroom on their computer without ever having to talk anybody or see anyone other than maybe viewing an image online.

Local Jurisdiction Laws

A person cannot be charged with child pornography if they are in another city or state because Bethesda is the county. Whenever someone is charged in the county, some part of the act must have been committed inside the county for the county to have jurisdiction. A person has to be relocated or at least have something to do with the county to be able to be prosecuted in the county for child pornography. Otherwise, the court has no jurisdiction over that.

When a Defendant is a Minor

The charges will not be different, but if a person is a juvenile, then the charge can be addressed and resolved in the juvenile courts, which are sealed and do not follow somebody to their adult life.

Consulting a Pornography Lawyer

A person should contact an attorney because the very nature of the charges is extremely serious. Even for possession and the first offense with no criminal history or record, the courts generally will impose at least a relatively significant amount of incarceration.

They should contact an attorney right away. Typically, child pornography is atypical in the way that it is charged. In many situations, the police will arrest somebody when they discover something or find something, but in pornography cases, generally what happens is they obtain a search warrant to search the residence of a house that has been associated with a computer that is downloading or distributing child pornography. Once they get a search warrant, they will come in and seize all computer equipment. Then, sometimes several months later, the individual is charged, because that is how long it takes to search the computers and obtain all data or evidence to be used against an individual before they are charged.