Viewing, distributing, or possessing child pornography is a serious crime, even if the act was accidental. Often, illegal pornography can be distributed online without your consent, and you may be exposed to material you did not seek to view. However, if this occurs, there is potential for criminal charges to be filed against you. If you are being investigated or have been charged with accidentally viewing illegal pornography, seek help from Mary E. Conn & Associates as soon as possible to understand your legal options.
Unintentional viewing of illegal pornography occurs when a person visits a website they believe is a legal adult site. However, federal agents can gain evidence about the visit or download by confiscating hardware and obtaining IP addresses, phone records, or data from other sources. The more steps you take that demonstrate an accidental download, the better legal position you will be to defend the allegation of possession. Don’t attempt to handle your case on your own. The lawyers at Mary E. Conn & Associates can help defend your legal rights and reputation every step of the way. Our team is only a phone call away.
Overview of Child Pornography Possession Charges
In child pornography cases, you may still face charges for viewing, possessing, or downloading illegal images or videos. Additionally, the act of accidentally viewing an image on a computer may be considered illegal, as an image can be printed, saved, or distributed. For this reason, this type of situation may still lead to legal charges.
To be convicted on child pornography charges, you must have knowingly viewed the illegal material, which means you should have reasonably known you were viewing a minor engaging in sexual activity. In some circumstances, there may be possible legal defenses for accidentally viewing illegal pornographic images. To be successful, you would have to obtain evidence that demonstrates you did not knowingly view the material.
If evidence of illegal pornographic material is found on your computer, your criminal defense lawyers at Mary E. Conn & Associates may argue the following:
- You did not know the material depicted minors
- Someone else used your computer to view the material
- The material seemed like legal pornography
Downloading illegal videos or images with explicit, descriptive names can be considered evidence of intent, and you will probably not be able to claim that the downloads were accidental. The act of clicking on a file to begin a download is considered an intentional act. If the video or image is clearly titled as child pornography, then it is expected that you knowingly decided to engage in an illegal activity. Call the criminal defense lawyers at Mary E. Conn & Associates for an assessment of your case.
Potential Legal Defenses to Child Pornography Charges
The criminal defense lawyers at Mary E. Conn & Associates may argue that you did not intentionally seek to view or possess child pornography. For instance, our legal team can demonstrate that the files downloaded were not made known as containing illegal content. If you downloaded files labeled as legal images or videos, you may not have known that the content depicted minors. If this is the case, the charges may be reduced or dropped. It is imperative to contact our experienced legal team as soon as possible to build a tailored and robust defense.
Contact the Criminal Defense Lawyers at Mary E. Conn & Associates
If you accidentally viewed child porn and are being investigated or charged with a sex crime, contact the criminal defense lawyers at Mary E. Conn & Associates. Since 1985, our legal team has helped countless clients charged with sex crimes obtain a favorable outcome.
Call one of our highly qualified criminal defense lawyers today at (713) 357-4190 or fill out a contact form.