Child pornography is illegal across the United States. Arizona has some of the harshest penalties in the country for this crime. If you are accused of possessing, distributing, or creating pornography of minors, a Chandler sex crimes lawyer may be able to help you contest this charge.
Suzuki Law Offices has a history of quality legal counsel. Our Chandler criminal defense lawyer may be able to help you find a unique solution to your case. For more information, reach out to us.
Child Pornography Charges in Chandler, Arizona
Pornography refers to the depiction of an individual in sexually explicit content. Child pornography involves photos and videos of anyone under the age of 18. Recent data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission indicates that more than 99% of those charged with pornography of children were required to spend time in prison, with an average sentence of 102 months.
In Arizona, minor pornography is regulated in accordance with Arizona Revised Statute §13-3553. It is considered a Class 2 felony. Someone may be convicted of this felony if they record, distribute, possess, manufacture, or advertise child pornography.
There are major consequences associated with pornography of children charges. At Suzuki Law Offices, our legal team can teach you about these consequences and how they may relate to your case. Contact our Chandler child pornography defense attorney today.
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Get StartedCommon Types of Child Pornography
Child pornography may consist of photos, images, and digital- or computer-generated content. National laws are in place relating to this type of pornography. These federal child pornography laws include:
Sexual Exploitation of Children
Child sexual exploitation is against the law. One such example of this involves child pornography. If someone is found guilty of breaking this law, they may face severe penalties.
Selling or Buying of Children
Under no circumstances is a parent or guardian allowed to sell or buy a child. A parent or guardian may be convicted on child pornography charges if they sell or transfer custody of a minor for the purpose of producing sexually explicit content. If someone is convicted for this reason, they may receive a lifetime prison sentence.
Certain Activities Relating to Content that Involves the Sexual Exploitation of Minors
Someone may receive content that contains sexually explicit images and videos of minors or send or provide this content to another party. In either scenario, they are breaking the law. If someone unintentionally does either of these things, a child pornography defense attorney in Chandler may be able to help them dispute the charge they face.
In a case involving sexual conduct with a minor or other criminal charges, it may be beneficial to hire a lawyer. A child pornography defense lawyer in Chandler can share their legal knowledge and insights with you. They may be able to craft a personalized legal strategy to help you avoid serious penalties or get the charges against you reduced.
Abogado cerca de míPenalties of a Conviction
You may get a minimum of 10 years in prison if you are convicted of child pornography. A prosecutor may try to get a separate sentence for each image or video in your case. For example, if someone is found in possession of 20 sexually explicit images of children, they may face 20 charges of pornography of children, which may lead to a 200-year prison sentence.
A person may be convicted of child pornography if they develop, disseminate, or are in possession of sexually explicit photos and videos of anyone under the age of 18. The penalties may escalate for those with images and videos of a minor under the age of 15. If someone is convicted of pornography of children, they are required to add their name to the Arizona Sex Offender Registry.
If you receive multiple convictions for child pornography, you will have to serve them consecutively. For instance, you may be convicted on 10 pornography of children charges, each with a 10-year sentence. In this situation, you may be required to serve 100 consecutive years in prison.
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Collateral Consequences
The consequences of a child pornography conviction may affect you for the rest of your life. You may be punished with prison time. Along with this, the consequences may extend to several areas of your life, including:
- Personal: Friends and family members may struggle to look at you the same way they did before your conviction.
- Housing: You may no longer have access to the same opportunities to buy housing you did prior to your conviction.
- Employment: A conviction may leave you with a criminal record, which may hurt your chances of getting your dream job.
You cannot always stop someone from accusing you of a crime. Regardless, you have the option to defend against an accusation. With help from an attorney, you may be able to combat a child pornography charge before it disrupts your life.
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Defending Against Child Pornography
There is no such thing as a surefire defense for the pornography of children charge. An attorney may be able to meet with you, discuss your case, and answer frequently asked questions and many others about building a legal strategy. Common defenses used in child pornography cases include:
- Sexually explicit content did not belong to the defendant.
- Content does not fall into the category of minor pornography.
- The defendant did not know that the people in photos or videos were under the age of 18.
An attorney may ask you questions so they can learn as much as they can about you and the charge against you. This may help the lawyer develop a custom legal strategy. On top of this, the attorney may be able to work with you to pursue alternative punishments to prison time.
Pretrial Diversion/Plea Agreements
In a diversion program, a defendant gets the opportunity to complete certain steps in lieu of going to prison. This program may not be available to every defendant in a pornography of children case. An attorney may help their client explore this option.
A plea agreement comes after negotiations between a defendant and a prosecutor. With a plea deal, the defendant agrees to a lesser charge. The prosecutor gets a conviction, while the defendant may be able to avoid a prison sentence.
Pretrial diversion and plea agreement options may be available. A lawyer can explain both of these options in detail. They may help you build a case to illustrate why you may be a good candidate for one or both options.
Contact Suzuki Law Offices for Help
For exceptional legal service, trust Suzuki Law Offices. We have insider knowledge of the criminal justice system, and we may be able to use it to help you with your child pornography case. To schedule a free consultation, contact us today.
Call or text 602-682-5270 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form