Columbia Child Pornography Possession Lawyer

In Columbia, child pornography offenses are taken very seriously, and alleged offenders could face hefty consequences if convicted. Generally, in federal court, there are three types of child pornography-related offenses. These could include possession of child porn, the dissemination of child pornography, and child abuse.

If you have been charged with possessing child porn, you may need the assistance of a knowledgeable defense attorney. A Columbia child pornography possession lawyer could help you build a defense against the charges.

Conducting A Child Pornography Case in Columbia

Child pornography cases in Columbia are typically conducted with an investigation. If the alleged offense involves a file-sharing program, the law enforcement investigating officer will record their IP address, speak to the internet service provider, to obtain the name of who has that IP address, research their home address, and track it back from there. Law enforcement will also try to download the file as evidence to show what the person had in their possession and record their IP address to try to build a case.

If it is an internet sting operation in which law enforcement pretends to be an under-aged person or a person asking to share child pornography, the officers will record the correspondence, including the text messages and emails between the defendant and the suspected party. This is to prove that this person had the intent to disseminate or to exchange child pornography.

Once law enforcement obtains a search warrant and seizes the electronic devices, such as computers, laptops, or iPads, they will do an extraction with hopes of collecting information from them.

A Columbia child pornography possession lawyer could help ensure that the alleged offender’s rights are protected and not being infringed upon.

If The Defendant is from Another City or State

It is possible for a person to be charged with child pornography offenses in Columbia if they are from another city or state. It depends on where they were getting the information from and where the crime occurred. If someone could tie the crime to South Carolina because that is where the alleged offense occurred, then they could be charged. An experienced attorney could review the charges and determine whether the case has merit.

What Does The Prosecution Need to Prove?

In a child pornography case, the prosecution needs to prove that the person had, under the definitions provided under Section 16-15-305 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, illicit sexual materials involving minors in their possession at the time law enforcement recorded it. Specifically, the prosecution is looking for a picture or video recording of a minor depicted in a sexual nature, sexual conduct, or sexually explicit nudity, that would be considered obscenity.

Once law enforcement ties it to an individual’s physical laptop or IP address, the government is going to use that as evidence that the defendant was in possession of child pornography. If it is saved on a cell phone, a laptop, a server, or any other type of hard drive, it is one of the specific ways that they could use it to prove possession of child porn. Otherwise, the process takes a long time for the prosecutors to extract and download all that information.

A skilled Columbia child pornography possession lawyer could review the evidence, collect evidence, and build a strong defense to help the defendant avoid the consequences of a conviction.

Seek Help From A Columbia Child Pornography Possession Attorney Today

If you have been charged with possessing child pornography in Columbia, you do not need to fight the charges alone. Seek help from a Columbia child pornography possession lawyer to learn about the charges, the consequences of a conviction, your legal options, and how you to fight the charges.

Call today to get started building your defense.