What You Need to Know If You Have Been Caught in an Internet Sex Sting

 Posted on September 20, 2018 in Child Pornography

Online solicitation of a minor is a crime that is aggressively tried by federal prosecutors. If you are convicted, you could face many years in prison. You also may be facing personal consequences like marriage difficulties and social ostracization.

For these reasons, you need to retain counsel that will take any and all steps to investigate your case and what evidence the government has implicating you in the crime. This will likely involve having the computer and other hardware seized by the government cloned so that the defense attorney and defense forensic experts can review the data.

Online solicitation of a minor is a federal crime set forth in 18 U.S. Code § 2422. That section states that using the internet to knowingly persuade, induce, entice or coerce any minor to engage in any unlawful sexual activity or to attempt to do so is illegal.

It is important to note the contours of this law. An accused does not have to have sex with a minor in order to be convicted. Furthermore, the person contacted does not actually have to be a minor for a conviction to result. In many cases, the person contacted is a government officer operating a sting and pretending to be a younger teenager.

On the other hand, one can be convicted if he or she believes the person contacted is a minor. While many people caught in an internet sex sting will believe they have a viable entrapment defense, this is often not the case. Unless an officer initiated contact with the accused and began the sexual discussions, it is likely not entrapment.

Contact a Chicago, IL Internet Sex Sting Lawyer

If you are facing charges involving solicitation of a minor through online means, you should contact an accomplished Chicago, IL federal crimes  attorney. These cases can be difficult because they combine the law with technology.

Your attorney must understand the intricacies of computer hardware and software and how social media works. Also, a complete knowledge of the federal law implicated in child exploitation or solicitation of minors is required. With the ever-evolving nature of social media platforms, these types of cases are always presenting novel issues.

When it comes to arguing novel issues, you need an experienced federal criminal defense attorney. Our firm’s attorney has been defending people accused of crimes for nearly 20 years. Also, our attorney is a former prosecutor, so he knows how prosecutors will handle your case and will plan accordingly.

Call our firm today at 312-629-0669. We offer free consultations.

Source:

https://www.americanbar.org/newsletter/publications/gp_solo_magazine_home/gp_solo_magazine_index/colleluori.html