You have probably seen the stories on the nightly news about people being arrested on child pornography charges. The mug shot shows up followed by a list of charges. The news reporter will probably also announce how many years the person could get in prison if they are found guilt on all the charges they face. All of that, and the person has just been arrested. They have not been convicted, but already people have branded the person as guilty. So much for a justice system built on people being presumed innocent until proven otherwise. Maybe you had the same thoughts as everyone else when you saw those stories, but what happens if you find yourself on the other end of that system? What if you get arrested on similar charges? Now it is your mugshot on the news. Now you have to fight to defend yourself. One thing is certain with charges relating to sex crimes or child pornography – you need to secure a strong defense team quickly.

What Happens

There are perhaps no crimes more vilified int his country than ones relating to crimes against minors. Rightfully so, illegal acts towards children should be dealt with according to the law, but the process needs to be fair. Often, people charged with some of the following crimes should never have been charged at all:

• Possession of child pornography
• Distribution of child pornography
• Manufacturing child pornography

There are times with people get set up by a former spouse or partner, someone angry with them over something they have done. When this happens, it is done out of vengeance and can be devastating to the person who is accused. Other time, people download a bunch of material off of the internet and do not realize that, hidden inside some of those files, there is illegal content. With current internet speeds, it is possible to download gigabytes of information almost instantly and it is impossible to check it all sometimes. In these cases and other in which a crime has not been committed, it will be the goal of your defense attorney to prove innocence and get the charges thrown out altogether.

If You Were Wrong

There are also times when you have done something wrong, but this does not mean your life should be over. Depending on the charges you receive, these kinds of crimes can carry a range of punishments:

• Strict state and federal prison time
• Long probation periods after release
• Lifetime sex offender registry
• Possible lifetime GPS monitoring

Those are the legal system’s punishments, but the consequences extend beyond the criminal justice system. Child pornography and other crimes against a minor can affect your ability to get a job upon release from prison. They can affect where you can live and where you can travel. The hidden costs of these charges and a conviction can be overwhelming. A requirement to register as a sex offender in Arizona means that where you live, where you work, and people in your community and surrounding communities may be notified.

What You Can Do

The first call you make if you are arrested on child pornography charges needs to be to an attorney who will fight to get your charges thrown out or reduced. It should be noted that police and prosecutors often stack the deck against a person with these types of charges. They throw every charge that comes close to what they think is appropriate, knowing full well that not all of them will stick. What they are doing many times is ruining lives and manipulating the justice system.