Child pornography charges are among the most serious of criminal cases anyone can face. Convictions can result in serious prison time and a lifetime of sex offender registration. Merely being charged can ruin your life. It is imperative that you receive expert legal counsel immediately when child pornography charges are a possibility. Contact the Law Offices of Geoffrey G. Nathan.
Child Pornography Charges
Under federal law, child pornography is defined as any visual depiction of a minor engaging in any sexual activity, including any exhibition of the child's genitals. The production, possession, or distribution of pornographic material depicting children is a violation of both state and federal laws, but. a defendant will often face more severe penalties in a federal court.
Federal law takes effect when the images are transported across state lines. Downloading child pornography from the internet is illegal, and internet servers are often located in a different state, so federal laws can be applied in most cases. There is a five year minimum prison sentence for anyone convicted of federal child pornography charges.
Enhanced Charges
While any child pornography charge is extremely serious, there are areas that are considered significantly worse, and which allow prosecutors the opportunity to seek even more severe penalties.
- Prepubescent Enhancement - this is involves pornography involving children that have not yet reached sexual maturity, generally 13 years old or younger.
- Penetration Enhancement - this refers to images or video of a child being sexually penetrated by a body part or object.
- Quantity Enhancements - having large quantities of child pornography in your possession will likely allow prosecutors to seek quantity enhancements and distribution charges.
Contact the Law Offices of Geoffrey G. Nathan
Through early and aggressive defense tactics, a skilled Boston child pornography attorney may be able to convince prosecutors not to file any charges. Many of the accused are victims of entrapment by authorities, while others may have accidently downloaded images through emails, or stumbled upon an illegal image on the internet. If a trial is inevitable, the goal is to reduce charges or obtain an acquittal. Contact the Law Offices of Geoffrey G. Nathan today.