If you have been accused of possession of child pornography or another sex crime involving a minor, the consequences you face are potentially devastating: a lengthy prison sentence, followed by lifetime registration as a sex offender. To protect your future, you should contact an experienced defense lawyer as soon as possible.
At Patel Law, PC, we bring years of experience to the defense of people accused of child pornography and other sex crimes involving minors. We offer a free initial consultation to discuss your case. Attorney Baku N. Patel is a former federal prosecutor, former Champaign County and Vermilion County senior prosecutor, and former U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General.
Defending You in Federal Court
Child pornography charges are often tried in federal court, where the penalties are far more severe than in Illinois state court. Under federal sentencing guidelines, you could face up to 30 years in prison depending on the number of images on your computer.
Child pornography cases are typically investigated by Immigrations and Custom Enforcement (ICE), as countries outside the United States are typically the source of child porn images and videos. Investigators track the downloading of images from file sharing software such as Limewire and Shareaza and then obtain search warrants to search the computers that downloaded the files.
Defenses in child porn cases often focus on issues such as:
- Did police have a valid search warrant?
- Did other people have access to your computer?
- Did you download the image inadvertently?
Defending You From Enticement Charges
Child enticement charges usually result from posts on social networking sites. Police officers may pose as children on these sites and track a target's actions. The officers may try to set up a meeting, at which time an arrest is made. Entrapment is often used as a defense.
Contact a Solicitation of Children Attorney Serving Danville, Decatur and Champaign-Urbana
To schedule a free consultation, call Champaign-Urbana child pornography defense attorney Baku Patel at 217-903-4867 (888-341-0748 toll free) or complete our online contact form.
