How can you defend yourself from child pornography charges?
With people spending more time online at the moment, child pornographers are taking advantage to spread their images further. Many people unwittingly see inappropriate photos appear on their screens during work or school meetings.
If you find yourself accused of possessing images of child pornography, these are some of the defenses you may be able to use:
- You did not know the images were on your computer: People place links onto websites to trick you into visiting sites or downloading things you did not mean to.
- It is not child pornography: Just because an image appears to be a young girl or boy does not mean it is. It is quite possible that someone over 18 is dressing up to look like someone younger, or happens to appear younger than they are.
- It is not your computer: If a computer is a work computer or a shared computer, the images could belong to someone else.
- Someone else put the images onto your computer: Someone else could have downloaded images onto your computer to get you in trouble.
- You were set up by the authorities: The police are not allowed to bait you or trick you into doing something you would otherwise not have done. It is known as entrapment.
- The authorities obtained the evidence illegally: The police have to follow specific procedures to search your property and to gather evidence. If they did not follow the proper procedures, or have the correct permissions, you might be able to get the evidence discounted.
If you face child pornography charges, seek legal counsel. If you are found guilty, you could face time in prison and be placed onto the sex offender registry.
