Did you know that possessing Internet child porn could mean decades in prison?
A man from Spring, Texas was recently given a prison sentence of 30 years for 3 counts for child porn possession.
According to The Courier of Montgomery County, the 30-year-old man pleaded guilty to all 3 counts of promotion or possession of child pornography in 9th District Court in Montgomery County. Visiting Judge Paul V. Damico sentenced him to 10 years for each count, the maximum sentence which can be given for child porn possession.
The man’s arrest followed the discovery of suspicious Internet search engine activity last year via a “cyber tip” received by detectives with the Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office.
The Montgomery County Internet Crimes Against Children task force works as part of the national coalition for such matters, which led to the tip about a possible violation from an Internet search provider via the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Reportedly, the Spring man was downloading material from his home which was deemed suspicious by the Internet search engine provider, leading to the tip. A search warrant was then secured, and multiple images of child pornography were found on electronic devices owned by the man. He was taken into custody Sept. 5, 2019 and held on $250,000 bond.
Authorities said they found multiple images and videos of children being sexually abused, the Montgomery County Pct. 3 Constable’s Office reported.
Such possession of child pornography is a third degree felony. A 10-year prison sentence is the maximum which can be given for a single count of possession of child porn. The minimum prison sentence is 2 years. Punishment can also include a fine of up to $10,000.
Other child porn penalties in Texas
The punishments and penalties for possession of child pornography in Texas depend on the specific nature of the crime. Other child porn penalties include:
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- Distributing (or intending to distribute) child porn images — 2 to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000
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- Possession of child porn if the child depicted or shown in sexual imagery is younger than 14 years of age — 5 to 99 years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000. The charge increases to a first degree felony. (This is common since more than two-thirds of children shown in child porn are 10 years old or younger.)
- Producing child porn — 15 to 30 years in federal prison, even for a first-time offender, for violating these federal laws. Offenders with previous convictions or who produced sadistic or violent images even could face life in prison under federal child porn laws.
In Texas and more than 20 other states, even “sexting” of explicit images on social media can be deemed child porn, leading to lengthy prison sentences and having to register as a sex offender.
When to contact an Internet child porn defense lawyer
Not everyone who’s rounded up in massive Internet “sex sting” operations is guilty of the crime to which they’re charged. If you or a family member need help when facing such a charge, alert an experienced child porn defense lawyer or sex crime defense attorney immediately.
You may face a sentence of many years in prison for a crime you did not commit. That means you need child pornography possession defense to protect your legal rights.
