All across Florida, law enforcement continues to make arrests for sex crimes many of which appear to originate in chat rooms.  Almost every police department has an officer working child porn and on any given day there are hundreds of police posing as minors trying to entice unsuspecting people into sending improper images or in some instances traveling to meet a minor.  There are several task forces that have been formed between local law enforcement and the Federal authorities the goal of which is to make arrests for sex crime offenses.

In Federal Court, the penalties in child porn cases involve long Federal prison sentences and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines are extremely harsh.  As an experienced sex crime lawyer I see all to often, innocent people getting tempted into doing something they would not otherwise do.  An arrest for kiddie porn or child pornography can destroy your life and your reputation.  There are valid defenses in these cases.  One defense is that of entrapment.  The issue in an entrapment case is one of predisposition.  Did the police induce you to do something you would not otherwise do?

There are also technical defenses for computer crimes.  Law enforcement has to prove who was behind the computer and who was responsible for downloading a picture of a minor engaged in sex.  If you have wi-fi, a neighbor may have hacked into your system or it may be someone else in your household that was using your computer.  If you had a friend or relative staying with you or using your computer you may find yourself the victim of a search and seizure when you have done absolutely nothing wrong.

For starters, stay out of chat rooms.  Nothing good comes from chat.  Never go into a private chat room and never, never send a sexually explicit image of yourself to anyone.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Experienced sex crime lawyers are expensive and an arrest can be costly.  Bonds are usually high getting arrested for a sex offense can ruin your life.  Think twice before engaging in chat with someone that could be a law enforcement officer.  If you have questions, contact my office for a free consultation