Connecticut Authorities Target Child Pornography Ring

 Posted on May 13,2014 in White Collar Crimes

An East Haven man was among 18 suspects arrested in a statewide targeted child pornography investigation. Detectives working for the Connecticut State Police Computer Crimes unit combined forces with the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Sex Offenders Unit to conduct the arrest warrant sweep on March 27th.

For the 18 arrested individuals, the state has the responsibility to prove several elements beyond a reasonable doubt in order to find the defendants guilty of their charges:

• Possession is the first component of a child pornography charge, which includes any picture, videotape, computer-generated image, or other visual depiction of a person under the age of 16;
• The state must demonstrate that the defendant knowingly possessed child pornography;
• The state must identify how many depictions of child pornography the defendant had, broken into categories or one or more, fewer than twenty, more than twenty but fewer than fifty, and fifty or more. This can include multiple copies of the same media.

If you have been charged with child pornography, any number of depictions can lead to a serious conviction. An arrested individual might raise an affirmative defense, under which he or she admits violation of Possessing or Transmitting Child Pornography by Minor instead of Possessing Child Pornography. While still a criminal offense, the former carries less serious penalties.

Your first stop after being charged should be to contact a criminal defense attorney. Only an experienced attorney will understand the state’s preparation for a child pornography case. Since it’s so vital that the state prove each of the three elements above, you need someone on your side fighting for your rights and ensuring that your side of the story is told, too. Do not underestimate the influence of a child pornography charge. If you have been accused, contact a Connecticut sex crimes attorney today.