Disney Employee Arrested on Child Porn Charges

Families in Florida visit Disney World and other amusement parks on a daily basis. It is expected that these places would be family-friendly, and they are, for the most part. However, some of the employees there are attracted to young children, which can make parents super cautious. Some employees engage in criminal acts involving minor children, such as viewing and downloading child porn.

It is not legal to even view child porn. However, a Disney employee seems to think that it is his “constitutional right” to watch child porn as he pleases. The 66-year-old janitor at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom was arrested on June 26 for six counts of child porn possession. The arrest occurred after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children tipped off detectives in Osceola County about someone downloading nude images of children between the ages of 5 and 12 from a residence.

Detectives served a search warrant to the man’s apartment, located in Celebration, Florida. The man admitted to downloading child porn from his laptop. In fact, detectives found open tabs on his internet browser showing child porn sites. The man claimed he was looking at child porn for investigative purposes. The man also alleged that he did not download any pornographic images; he simply viewed the content. He also claimed that watching child porn was his “constitutional right” and he was not a criminal.

However, detectives discovered that the man did in fact download child porn. The children in the images were determined to be under the age of 13. The man, however, thought that viewing the videos was acceptable, since he believed that the minors in the videos voluntarily created and posted the videos online.

The man, who has worked as a custodian at Walt Disney World for nearly 30 years, has been placed on unpaid leave. The man was put in Osceola County Jail. Bail has been set at $6,000.

Is Viewing Child Porn Ever Legal?

While adult porn is legal, simply viewing child porn can lead to criminal charges. The difference is that children in pornographic images are considered victims. Children do not consent to these images, and by viewing them, people allow the victimization to continue.

Law enforcement officials may view child porn images to identify victims and understand what alleged sex offenders are viewing to determine criminal charges. It is never legal for those not in law enforcement to view or download such images. Sometimes it is done accidentally, however. For example, a person may click on a link in an email and be taken to a website that leads to a child porn site or a malware site that immediately downloads child porn. In these cases, as long as the person did not intend to view or download child porn, there will be no criminal charges.

Contact a Legal Professional for Help

It is not OK to view child porn, and thinking it should be not only legal but your “constitutional right” to view it will not help your case. Judges tend to be more lenient toward those who are remorseful of their actions.

If you have been accused of a child porn crime, you need solid defense. Protect your legal rights with help from Florida child pornography lawyer Gilbert A. Schaffnit. With several decades of experience, we can help you make the right decisions that will improve your outcome. To schedule a free consultation, fill out the online form or call (352) 505-1799.

Resource:

nypost.com/2019/06/28/disney-custodian-thinks-watching-child-porn-is-his-constitutional-right-cops/

https://www.gilschaffnit.com/15-florida-residents-arrested-in-child-porn-sting/