Types of Child Pornography
There are many different acts that are criminalized when it comes to child pornography and many of these cases allege that the defendant did one or more of the following:
- Downloading images;
- Uploading images;
- Sharing images online;
- Possessing image files on a smartphone or computer;
- Sending image files via email, text messages, or other online messaging;
- Soliciting minors to participate in making child pornography, often online;
- Arranging meetings with a minor online and traveling to the planned location.
Many state and federal law enforcement agencies may engage in undercover sting operations in which they pose online as either minors or other individuals seeking child pornography. These operations can result in the search of your home, including all smartphones, laptops, tablets, desktops computers, and hard drives. If evidence of child pornography is found, you can be arrested and charged with a third or second-degree felony, or even federal charges, depending on the circumstances and the acts alleged.
Technology made child pornography more pervasive. The age of computers and internet has led to a sky rocketing number of crimes involving child pornography. The type of persons who commit this offense often do not have any criminal history that involves the sexual abuse or exploitation of children, nor do they have any prior felony. Access to child pornography can be accessed from the privacy of ones home computer over the internet. Gone are the days when producing and distributing these kinds of images was difficult and expensive. Anonymous distribution was not possible. Now, distribution of images and digitize movies cans be reproduced and disseminated to tens of thousands of individuals at the click of a button. The technological ease, lack of expense and anonymity in obtaining and distributing child pornography has resulted in an explosion in the volume of child pornography.
The proliferation of child pornography and the use of computers as means of illegal and illicit sexual conduct have been met by strong law enforcement effort in the DFW area and North Texas. There is a North Texas Regional Task Force that specifically seeks out and investigates these offenses wit the resources and frequencies of past Task Forces against Drug Dealers and violent criminal gangs. This is a Law enforcement priority now at the local, state, and federal, levels.
At the federal level, Child pornography and sexual predators of minors is investigated by several law enforcement agencies including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) as well as local police departments working on the Federal Task Force.
If you or a loved one has been accused of possessing or distributing child pornography, contact Dallas and Collin County Federal Criminal Defense Attorney J. Michael Price II online or call 214-765-8000.