Yale Child Pornography Lawyer
Having help from a Yale child pornography lawyer could be essential to preserving your future prospects in this highly sensitive situation. Anyone accused of any criminal offense in Connecticut has a right to retain a defense attorney who knows how to handle cases like this who could improve your odds of a favorable resolution to your case.
How Can You Contest Child Pornography Possession Charges?
The Connecticut penal code splits child pornography possession offenses into three degrees, differentiated by the amount of illicit material a defendant allegedly possessed and sometimes the nature of that material. Under Connecticut General Statutes (C.G.S.) §53a-196f, possessing less than 20 distinct visual depictions of child pornography or a film or series of images less than 20 frames in length depicting illicit content involving minors is considered possession in the third degree, a class D felony.
Possession of between 20 and 50 illicit images or frames is considered class C felony second-degree possession under C.G.S. §53a-196e, and possession of more than 50 frames or images constitutes the class B felony offense of first-degree child pornography possession under C.G.S. §53a-196d. Possession of any visual depiction of child pornography that shows a minor sustaining or being threatened with serious physical injury is automatically considered first-degree possession, as is possession of a video or series of images of any length depicting multiple sexually explicit acts by one child and/or multiple children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
C.G.S. §53a-196g outlines only two affirmative defenses to child pornography possession charges, each of which a Yale attorney can explain in more detail if applicable. First, individuals who possess a visual depiction of a nude minor for a legitimate medical, judicial, scientific, educational, or artistic purpose cannot be convicted of a child pornography offense for that specific depiction. Second, anyone who comes to possess less than three depictions of child pornography unknowingly and immediately reports it to law enforcement in good faith may use that as an affirmative defense against a possession charge.
What are Enhanced Penalties for Involving Minors in Obscene Performances?
Although the Connecticut penal code does not refer to “creation” or “distribution” of child pornography in such specific terms, these actions can still result in immensely serious criminal consequences. C.G.S. §53a-196b defines the act of promoting a minor in an obscene performance as a class B felony, for which a conviction could lead to sanctions of $15,000 in fines and a minimum one-year to maximum 20-year prison term.
Finally, C.G.S. §53a-196a makes employing a minor in such a performance a class A felony, punishable by a maximum $20,000 fine and a prison sentence between 10 and 25 years in length. Retaining a seasoned defense lawyer is especially crucial for anyone at Yale facing allegations of committing child pornography offenses.
Contact a Yale Child Pornography Attorney as Soon as Possible
Child pornography charges can be difficult to proactively address no matter what your criminal history is. Allegations alone could result in serious personal and professional challenges, in addition to potential criminal sanctions. Fortunately, support is available from our 5-star reviewed lawyers at Mark Sherman Law who have helped individuals in similar situations seek positive case results before.
A qualified Yale child pornography lawyer at our firm can be an important ally throughout every part of your legal proceedings. Schedule a confidential consultation today.