Criminal Defense Lawyers

Kansas City Child Pornography Defense Lawyers

Navigating Federal Child Pornography Charges: What You Need to Know

Facing federal child pornography charges can be an incredibly scary and overwhelming experience. As you try to understand the complex laws and sentencing guidelines, you likely have a million questions racing through your mind.I know this is an incredibly difficult time. My goal with this guide is to walk you through the key things you need to know when facing federal child pornography charges, so you can make informed decisions when working with your defense lawyer. I’ll overview the common charges, potential defenses, sentencing guidelines, and what you can do to give yourself the best possible chance at the lowest sentence.

Common Federal Child Pornography Charges

There are a few main federal laws that prosecutors use to charge defendants with child pornography crimes:

• 18 U.S.C. Section 2252 – This law makes it illegal to knowingly transport, receive, distribute, reproduce, sell, possess with intent to sell, or possess child pornography. Charges can include receipt, distribution, reproduction, transportation, and simple possession of child pornography.
• 18 U.S.C. Section 2251 – This law deals with the sexual exploitation and production of child pornography. Charges include producing, directing, manufacturing, publishing, advertising, promoting, or selling visual depictions of real minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

• 18 U.S.C. Section 2252A – This law prohibits knowingly accessing child pornography with intent to view, possessing child pornography, and distributing/receiving child porn using a means of interstate commerce like the internet.

The penalties for violating these laws can be severe depending on the exact charges and your criminal history. But it’s important to understand the nuances between the different types of charges, as the defense strategy and potential sentences can vary significantly.

Defending Against Federal Child Pornography Charges

While child pornography charges should always be taken very seriously, there may be defenses an experienced lawyer can use to get charges reduced or even dismissed. Some potential defenses include:

• You did not “knowingly” download or possess the illegal content – If the files were placed on your device without your knowledge or consent, this could potentially invalidate the “knowing” component of the charges. However, this can be difficult to prove.

• The files do not meet the legal definition of “child pornography” – If the files depict adolescents and the images would not be considered sexually explicit under the Dost test, then they may not qualify as illegal child porn under federal law. But the evidence must be carefully examined.

• Law enforcement made mistakes in the investigation – If there were any procedural mistakes, like issues with how they obtained search warrants, this might provide grounds to get evidence thrown out or charges dismissed.

• You were conducting legitimate research – In limited circumstances, you may have a defense if you can prove you possessed the files briefly for academic research, journalism, or law enforcement purposes. However, the evidence must demonstrate this convincingly.

The viability of any defense will depend on the specifics of your case and requires an experienced federal CP defense lawyer to analyze. But the point is – do not assume that the charges cannot be defended just because it involves child pornography. There may be defenses worth pursuing.

Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Child Pornography Charges

If convicted of federal child pornography charges, the penalties and prison sentences are largely determined by the federal sentencing guidelines. I want to emphasize that the final sentence depends on many factors and experienced lawyers have been successful at arguing for variances below the guidelines. But you need to understand how the guidelines work to navigate the process effectively.There are two primary sections of the guidelines that apply to most CP cases:

§2G2.2 – Trafficking, Receiving, Transporting Child Pornography

This section covers offenses for trafficking, distributing, receiving, possessing, and transporting child pornography. The base offense level considers the type of files and your criminal history:

• Level 18 – Images depicting prepubescent minors or minors under 12 years old
• Level 22 – Images involving violence, sadism, masochism, or abuse
• Up to 5 levels may be added if convicted of distribution/intent to traffic
• 2-7 levels added for the number of files/images and use of a computer

The sentencing table then uses this offense level and criminal history category to determine the sentencing range. For example, a level 30 offense and criminal history I equates to a 97-121 month guideline range.

However, statutory minimums and enhancements might also apply on top of the guidelines:

• 5 year minimum for transporting, distributing, receiving child pornography
• 15 year minimum for repeating these offenses
• Up to 30 years if files depict children under 12

So while the “standard” sentencing range might be 97-121 months under the guidelines, the actual minimum could be much higher due to the charges.

§2G2.1 – Production of Child Pornography

This section covers directly producing child pornographic visual depictions of real minors. Due to the severity, the base offense level starts at level 32 if the victim was under 16 years old. Additional enhancements are added based on specific offense characteristics like:

• +4 levels if victim is under 12 years old
• +2 levels for sexual contact between adult and minor
• +5 levels if victim was in custody, care, or supervision of defendant
• +2 levels for distribution of images

Similar to §2G2.2 offenses, the final guideline range is determined by the offense level + criminal history. But statutory minimums and enhancements will apply on top of that baseline range. For example, production of child porn involving a minor under 12 has a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment.This overview does not cover every nuance, but hopefully provides insight into how sentencing works for federal child porn charges – and where defense lawyers can argue for variances.

How Can I Get the Lowest Possible Sentence for Federal Child Porn Charges?

The best way to get the lowest possible sentence if convicted of federal child pornography charges is to work extensively with an experienced defense lawyer on these key areas:

1. Plea Negotiations and Charge Reductions

In many cases, your lawyer can negotiate with prosecutors to get charges reduced or dropped in exchange for a guilty plea. This can sometimes lead to dramatically lower sentencing ranges. A skilled negotiator understands all the options available and can craft creative solutions in your favor.

2. Challenge Sentencing Enhancements and Calculations

There are often mistakes made in determining the sentencing guideline ranges and what enhancements apply. Thoroughly contesting the pre-sentence report and having an expert on the guidelines by your side can lower the range.

3. Present Mitigating Factors and Variance Arguments

Researching and presenting mitigating factors – like mental health issues, a difficult upbringing, post-offense rehabilitation efforts, etc. – to the judge can help argue for a downward variance below the guideline range. An experienced federal CP defense lawyer knows how to craft persuasive arguments and provide evidence to humanize the defendant.

4. Alternative Sentencing Possibilities

Options like halfway houses, home confinement, or residential treatment programs could allow at least part of a sentence to be served in a confinement setting other than prison. This depends on the charges and requires effective legal advocacy.The overarching point is – an experienced federal CP defense lawyer intimately familiar with the complex laws, guidelines, and arguments for mitigation can provide the best possibility of a favorable plea deal and reasonable sentence if convicted. The defense absolutely matters.

Making the Wise Decisions During an Overwhelming Time

Without question, dealing with federal child pornography charges turns your entire world upside down. On top of the legal process, these cases often create massive collateral consequences like destruction of reputation, relationships, and careers.The situation can understandably make level-headed decision making difficult when emotions and fears are running high. But I encourage you to do your best to tune out the noise and carefully consider every option and angle presented by your defense team. Overreacting or making impulsive moves rarely leads to the optimal outcome when compared to trusting your lawyer’s counsel.