Interaction with child pornography in Colorado Springs, Monument, and Manitou Springs can lead to especially serious consequences. Charged as sexual exploitation of a child, defendants in these cases face substantial prison time, strict supervision, public disgrace, and sex offender registration. Late last month, a NCAA QB was arrested for allegedly sharing images of a male having sex with an underage female. Charges of this nature in Pueblo and El Paso County require representation from an experienced Colorado Springs child pornography lawyer. Below we discuss this sex offense in greater detail and how Sawyer legal Group can help defendants protect their future.
What Qualifies as Child Porn in El Paso County?
It is unlawful in Colorado Springs and Pueblo to possess, distribute, and create sexually explicit material involving a minor under the age of 18. CRS 18-6-403 defines these acts of child sexual exploitation throughout Colorado. Police will pursue charges if they believe you:
- possessed or contributed in any way to distributing or making,
- materials showing someone under the age of 18 engaged in,
- erotic nudity, erotic fondling, masturbation, sexual arousal, intercourse, or anal / oral sex
More and more people are facing child porn charges due to their activity online on computers, tablets, and smartphones. A few clicks can quickly lead to downloading child porn (possession) or sending child porn (distribution). ISPs, cloud storage, and various apps can quickly identify questionable material or website visits and alert law enforcement. In some cases our clients had no idea what they were interacting with until it was too late.
How Serious is Sexual Exploitation of a Child in Colorado Springs?
Criminal charges related to child pornography are a felony throughout El Paso County. Defendants caught with a small amount (< 20 images) of still images on their device or in print face consequences of a class 5 felony which include:
- up to 3 years in a Colorado prison,
- fines of $1K – $100K,
- strict supervision on sex offender intensive supervised probation,
- sex offender evaluation / treatment,
- sex offender registration (minimum of 20 years)
However, if the case involves > 20 images or any video a class 4 felony applies. This can as much as double the prison sentence and substantially increase the fines issued. Finally, if a person is accused of distributing or creating underage pornography in Colorado, they’re charged with a class 3 felony. Sentencing here can include up to 12 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.
Top Child Pornography Lawyer in Colorado Springs
If you or someone you know has been contacted by police about questionable material in your possession, exercise your right to remain silent and contact Sawyer Legal Group. Our El Paso County sex crimes attorneys have decades of combined experience successfully defending clients charged with various internet sex offense.
Perhaps you didn’t know the material was on your device, the images weren’t for the purpose of anyone’s sexual gratification, or everyone in the material was 18 or older. Our highly-rated attorneys offer same day jail visits, affordable fees, and flexible payment plans for those facing criminal charges throughout Pueblo, El Paso, and Fremont County.
Don’t Talk to police about child porn charges – talk to us. 719-377-3544
Photo by Max DeRoin