Child Pornography and Internet Sex Crimes

The Law Offices of Karen L. Goldstein is a Los Angeles criminal defense law firm which focuses on helping clients who have been accused of, or charged, with child pornography and other Internet sex crimes.   A person accused of possession of child pornography, or an Internet sex crimes charge, needs a criminal defense attorney who understands the legal complexities involved with defending such emotionally charged cases which affect not only the accused but also the accused’s family and loved ones.  Therefore, it is vital to choose a criminal defense attorney who has experience, compassion, and skill with child pornography and Internet sex crimes defense.   The Law Offices of Karen L. Goldstein has an aggressive child pornography, and Internet sex crimes, defense practice which offers skilled legal counsel to help you through all phases of your criminal defense case.

Child Pornography and Internet Sex Crimes Charges

California criminal law imposes severe penalties for the possession and distribution of child pornography in addition to the commission of other Internet sex crimes. The Law Offices of Karen L. Goldstein has extensive experience with many types of child pornography and Internet sex crimes cases including:

• State possession of child pornography
• State distribution of child pornography
• Federal possession of child pornography
• Federal distribution of child pornography
• State or Federal criminal charges based on sharing (trading) of child pornography in Internet chat rooms
• State or Federal criminal charges based on sharing images through a peer-to-peer file sharing network (P2P) such as Kazaa or LimeWire

Common Internet Sex Crimes Charges

• Sending sexual or "harmful" images to a minor via Internet
• Contacting a minor for a lewd purpose via Internet
• Arranging to meet a minor (over the Internet) for a lewd
• Lewd Internet chatting
• Sexting (multimedia texting of sexual images of a minor from one minor to another minor or from a minor to an adult)

Possession and distribution of child pornography, in addition to other Internet sex crimes, is penalized harshly, and considered criminal, under both Federal and California state law.  

Understanding Federal Sex Crimes

Federal Sex Crimes Possible Penalties

In the Federal system, a mandatory minimum sentences of 5 years, or 10 years, in Federal prison may apply to charges involving the possession or distribution of child pornography.   Additionally, Federal law requires a convicted sex offender to register under California state law as a sex offender.   

A skilled child pornography and Internet sex crimes lawyer must have a detailed grasp of the differences between defending against Federal and state charges.  For example, Federal courts tend to have more rigid criminal procedure than state courts. In Federal child pornography cases, there is typically less room for negotiation, and less judicial discretion, because federal punishment is limited by mandatory minimum sentences, and strongly influenced by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Despite the difficulty of Federal child pornography or Federal Internet sex crimes charges, an experienced Federal criminal defense attorney will assist you with carefully evaluating all of your legal options.  Federal law allows for relief from mandatory minimum sentences if the person accused of a sex crimes defendant either cooperates with the Government by providing substantial assistance to the Government or if your criminal defense attorney is able to negotiate for an alternate charge which does not automatically trigger the mandatory minimum sentence.

State Sex Crimes Possible Penalties

In a state prosecution, a person accused of a child pornography, or an Internet-related sex crime faces a substantial amount of county jail or state prison time, and mandatory registration for life as a sex offender.   An aggressive sex crimes defense attorney will fight for you to win your case to avoid sex registration or will negotiate aggressively for you to receive a probation sentence and counseling in lieu of any jail or prison time.

Defending a Child Pornography or Internet Sex Crimes Case

A skilled criminal defense lawyer can help you defend against all state and federal charge involving child pornography or Internet sex crimes.  For example, there may be forensic computer defenses, or constitutional defenses, to these types of cases, including:

• Trojan horses
• Hijacking
• Cache files
• First Amendment
• Fourth Amendment

A knowledgeable criminal defense attorney will carefully evaluate your case to determine whether there is a First Amendment or Fourth Amendment defense based on the actual subject matter of the images and/or whether the images seized by law enforcement officials were illegal.  An experienced criminal defense attorney will also consider whether the prosecution is able to prove a required mental state.  For example, possession of child pornography must be intentional or knowing which can sometimes be difficult to prove although prosecutors may impute (or find) the requisite knowledge based on circumstantial evidence.   Therefore, do not leave your future to chance.  Consult with a skilled and knowledgeable child pornography and Internet sex crimes defense attorney today.

Contact Us

If you or a loved one is accused of a child pornography crime, or an Internet sex crime, call the Law Offices of Karen L. Goldstein today for a free, confidential consultation: (888) 445-6313.