What Are the Penalties For State or Federal Child Pornography Charges?

 Posted on February 20, 2019 in Criminal Law

Sex crimes are some of the most serious offenses a person can be charged with. When sex crimes involve children, the situation becomes even more serious, and the penalties can be severe. An arrest, or even an accusation, for crimes related to the possession or distribution of child pornography can follow you for your entire life. If convicted of child pornography charges, you will be required to register as a sex offender in the state of Connecticut, which can make your life even more difficult.

Those who have been accused of crimes related to child pornography will likely be worried about how their life will be affected. Unfortunately, these types of charges can result from seemingly innocuous activities or because of the actions of another person, and an alleged offender will likely wonder how their career, personal relationships, and criminal record will be affected. If you are facing child pornography charges, it is imperative that you hire a skilled criminal defense attorney.

Connecticut Child Pornography Charges

In the state of Connecticut, child pornography is defined as any visual depiction that portrays sexually explicit content involving a person under the age of 16, such as a photograph, film, videotape, or computer-generated image. The sexually explicit content can include sexual intercourse, masturbation, or portrayal of the genital areas.

There are a couple of different crimes you could be charged with when it comes to child pornography. These include:

• Importing child pornography: A person is guilty of importing child pornography if he or she knowingly imports three or more visual depictions of child pornography into the state of Connecticut with the intent to promote child pornography. This is a Class B felony which carries a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of 25 years in prison.
• Possession of child pornography (first degree): First-degree child pornography possession occurs when a person possesses 50 or more depictions of child pornography, which can include materials that depict bodily injury to a child, more than one child partaking in sexual acts, or multiple sexual acts by one child. This is a Class B felony which also carries a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of 25 years in prison.
• Possession of child pornography (second degree): This occurs when a person knowingly possesses 20 to 50 depictions of child pornography. This is a Class C felony which carries a sentence of 1 to 10 years in prison.
• Possession of child pornography (third degree): This occurs when a person knowingly possesses less than 20 depictions of child pornography. This is a Class D felony which carries a sentence of up to five years in prison.

Federal Child Pornography Charges

Like most crimes, child pornography may involve both state charges and federal charges. Federal charges of sexual exploitation of children may apply when a person persuades, entices, or coerces a minor into engaging in sexually explicit conduct for the purposes of producing depictions of the conduct, and that person knows the depictions will be transported or transmitted through interstate or foreign commerce. A person convicted of sexual exploitation of children faces 15 to 30 years in federal prison.

Contact a Tenacious Hartford, CT Sex Crimes Defense Attorney

Being accused of child pornography is one of the most serious charges a person can face. If you have been charged with possessing, transmitting, or distributing child pornography, being represented by a knowledgeable Hartford child pornography defense lawyer is the best action you could take. At the Woolf Law Firm, LLC, we understand the gravity of child pornography charges, and we will help you determine your best options for defense while working to protect your rights and your reputation during the entire legal process. Call our office today at 860-290-8690 to schedule a free initial consultation.

Sources:

https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_952.htm#sec_53a-196c

https://www.justice.gov/criminal-ceos/citizens-guide-us-federal-law-child-pornography

https://www.justice.gov/criminal-ceos/child-pornography