Child Pornography
Seattle, Washington Child Pornography Defense Attorney
State and federal law enforcement agencies have made a high priority of investigating and prosecuting crimes involving the possession, distribution, or production of child pornography. The sentences upon conviction for such offenses can be quite high. The consequences also
include lengthy sex offender registration requirements, and criminal and civil forfeiture of real and personal property used in making child pornography, and of the profits of child pornography.
Under federal statutes, it is a crime to transport, transmit, or receive child pornography in interstate or foreign commerce, or to produce child pornography. Washington has similar statutes. In addition, child pornography crimes are predicate offenses under the Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and under the Washington Criminal Profiteering Act.
Typically, these cases present challenges involving forensic computer evidence that links the suspect to digital images containing child pornography. An evaluation of such evidence, however, may reveal that other people had access to the computer and images in question, that the images were only inadvertently accessed or downloaded, or that the suspect’s open WiFi internet connection was secretly used by others to access the internet for purposes of downloading the images. Another approach may be to challenge the constitutional validity of the search warrant used to obtain the digital evidence. If the crime was induced by a law enforcement agent, there may be an entrapment defense.