Internet Sexual Exploitation of a Child (Child Pornography) charges are increasing rapidly in Douglas County, Colorado, and the Sheriff’s office there has a new way of capturing those in possession of child pornography. They are using software that can identify images located on home computers using “peer to peer” file sharing. Sexual exploitation of a child is terrible thing. The very words can create feelings of anger that may keep us from being open to the idea that the accused person may be innocent. While I am concerned about the affects pornography, and especially child pornography has on our society, and upon the victims, I am also concerned about other issues as well.
Authority figures, like the Douglas County Sheriffs and the deputy district attorneys are sometimes looked at as “angels,” while the person that downloads even one image as someone worthy of a sex crime felony. Police and deputy district attorneys are not always angels, and people accused of sex crimes are not always guilty. We defend many people who had no idea one of these images was on their computer.
Peer to peer networks like Limewire can be used to share files with people for all kinds of different reasons. Sometimes, just like hackers that make computer viruses, images are placed in files for sharing that are not what the downloader expects. A woman in Aurora, Colorado may be looking for pictures of her next vacation spot in Cancun, and suddenly realizes she has downloaded illegal child pornography. Quickly deleting the image does not remove the image from the computer and now there is a record that indicates it was downloaded and viewed. Read more on our Sexual Exploitation Common Questions Page. Meanwhile, a Colorado Springs or Jefferson County police detective, with his special software, just captured the whole thing. Now the “angels” go to work.
The article said, “even looking at one image is a felony.” And it is important to know that this is not an ordinary felony; it is one that carries the life long stigma of a “sex offense.” With the posting of sex offenders on the internet and the inability for most to find a place to live or work, many sex offenders will say the real punishment begins after they serve jail time or get off probation.
If the police have seized your computer, and are accusing you of Internet Sexual Exploitation of a Child you need someone on your side that will listen to you, and is able to help police and prosecutors, or a jury, understand your particular situation. So be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and call us at 303-731-0719. Together we can protect your future.