Maryland Man Gets 20 Years in Prison for Child Porn Charges

Living in a society that is highly focused on sex, many Americans enjoy viewing pornographic material. While viewing adult porn may be seen as immoral to some people, it is legal. What is not legal, however, is viewing any type of porn involving minors—children under the age of 18.

This does not stop people from doing viewing, downloading and distributing child porn, though, and as a result, they face serious penalties when they get caught. This was the case for a Maryland man who was caught distributing videos of child porn to other users. The 60-year-old man, from Pocomoke City, was charged with three counts of child pornography distribution.

The investigation began in February 2019. This was when Worcester County Bureau of Investigation received a tip from the Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce. Investigators were able to trace several videos depicting child porn from the man’s IP address. Investigators executed a search warrant and seized the man’s electronic devices. A search showed that the man had emailed child porn images and videos to other users.

On December 11, a judge with the Worcester County Circuit Court sentenced him to 30 years in prison. Because 10 years were suspended, the man still faces 20 years behind bars. Once he is released, he will be on supervised probation for five years. He will then have to register as a sex offender for 25 years.

What is Child Porn Distribution?

There are several types of child pornography charges a person can face. One of them is child porn distribution. Distribution is punished the most severely because it involved not only viewing and downloading images and videos, but also sharing them with others.

Child porn distribution can occur in various ways. It could involve allowing another person to copy the images or videos through a file-sharing program. It could mean giving away or selling these materials. Creating a copy of a CD, emailing or texting someone a photo of a nude child or printing a sexually explicit photo and giving it to someone would fall under child porn distribution. Even teens who share nude photos of themselves with classmates can be accused of child porn distribution, because even though they consent to the sharing, they are still considered underage.

There is some gray area when it comes to merely showing another person a child porn image or video. While it’s unclear if a person can be charged with distribution when one adult shows an image to another adult, showing child porn to a child can result in criminal charges.

Contact a Maryland Criminal Defense Lawyer Today

Many people are curious about child porn and some are even addicted to it. Viewing, possessing and distributing such material can lead to criminal charges—not only at the state level, but also at the federal level.

Being arrested and charged with a child porn crime can be a scary situation. A Columbia child pornography lawyer at the Law Offices of Todd K. Mohink, P.A. can guide you through the process. We have various defenses to use to reduce your charges or eliminate them altogether. Schedule a free consultation today by calling (410) 774-5987 or filling out the online form.

Resource:

delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2019/12/12/child-pornography-charges-get-pocomoke-man-20-years-prison/4408564002/

https://www.marylandlawhelp.com/maryland-man-arrested-for-child-porn-possession-and-distribution/