Possible Sentences for Child Pornography Charges

 Posted on August 24, 2018 in Child Pornography

If you are suspected of or have been charged with child pornography possession or related crime, you may be wondering what possible sentences you will receive if you are convicted or plead guilty to child pornography charges.

It is important to understand what is on the line for your life and your family’s life if you are facing these types of charges. One thing to keep in mind is that federal child pornography sentences often include registering as a sex offender, which carries with it additional costs and requirements.

Child Pornography Sentences Keep Getting Longer

Over the past 20 years, child pornography sentences have lengthened overall. In 1997, federal child pornography convictions carried an average sentence of 20.59 months. By 2010, the average sentence had increased 500 percent to 118 months.

In addition, the number of federal convictions has ballooned as well, rising from a few dozen each year in the 1990s to 1,886 cases in 2010. It is interesting to note that the vast majority of those convicted and sentenced in 2010 of a federal child pornography crime had no prior criminal record.

Child Pornography Offenses and Sentences

If you are convicted of possession of child pornography, first offense, you could be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years. There is no mandatory minimum.

If you are convicted of possession of child pornography with a prior sex offense conviction, you will be sentenced to 10 to 20 years.

If you are convicted of transportation, receipt, distribution, possession with intent to distribute or sell child pornography and it is your first sex offense conviction, you will receive a sentence of five to 20 years. If you have a prior sex offense conviction, you will receive a sentence of 15 to 40 years.

Contact a Chicago, IL Federal Child Porn Charges Attorney

If you have questions about what type of sentence you or a loved one may be facing for child pornography charges, you should contact a seasoned criminal defense attorney. Our attorneys can help you make sense of what charges you are facing and what your best defenses may be.

Moreover, our firm will represent you as zealously as possible in court. While you may be facing a mandatory minimum, and our firm will present compelling legal arguments to the court about mitigating factors in your case that can result in a lesser sentence.

Call our knowledgeable Chicago, IL federal crimes lawyer at Law Offices of Hal M. Garfinkel LLC, Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney by dialing 312-629-0669.

Source:

https://famm.org/wp-content/uploads/FS-Intro-to-Child-Pornography-Sentencing-8.31.16.pdf