Florida Man Arrested for Exchanging Child Porn for Gift Cards
Materials depicting child porn are all too common online. These images victimize children of all ages every time they are viewed by others. As such, sharing or distributing child porn is never legal, even if you trade it for money, gift cards or other items.
A man in Florida was recently arrested and charged with possession of child porn after it was discovered that he was uploading child porn to his email account. Since his email account was linked to his phone number, it was easy for investigators to locate the man.
The 21-year-old man from Holiday was arrested on October 30. He was charged with 10 counts of child porn possession after law enforcement officials received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators were able to track the activity to the man’s home. They served him a search warrant. They found the images in question on the man’s phone and it was confirmed that it was him who uploaded them.
The man admitted that he shared the sexually explicit images online with others. He would distribute them to others in exchange for gift cards.
The man was arrested and is currently in custody at Pasco County Jail. Bond has been set for $50,000, or $5,000 for each count.
What is Child Porn Distribution?
When you think of child porn distribution, you may think of someone devising an elaborate plan to send multiple images to a group of people. Distributing pornographic images of children actually isn’t that complicated. Sharing just one image to one person can be considered child porn distribution, which is a very serious crime.
Distribution is punished more harshly than possession. Distributing child porn can be done electronically or in hard copy form. If you give someone a picture or CD of child porn images, that would be considered distribution. So would emailing someone a picture of a child engaging in sexual acts. Using a file-sharing program is also considered distribution under federal law.
What if you are in possession of a child porn image and you simply show someone the picture? Would that be considered distribution? The law is unclear. At the very least, you could be charged with child porn possession. However, if you show child porn images to another child, especially with the intent to seduce the child, you could land yourself in legal hot water.
Don’t take that chance. The penalties are harsh. You could face decades in prison and hefty fines. You could also be forced to register as a sex offender.
Contact a Legal Professional for Help
Child porn charges are taken very seriously by Florida law enforcement. Even possession of a few images can land you in jail. You could face felony charges and hefty fines.
A child porn conviction could ruin your life. Protect yourself with help from Florida child pornography lawyer Gilbert A. Schaffnit. He can give you solid advice and preserve your legal rights. Schedule a consultation today. Call (352) 505-1799 or fill out the online form.
Resource:
wtsp.com/article/news/local/pascocounty/florida-man-trades-child-porn-for-gift-cards/67-d0808905-a908-4c76-b2bc-868965c2a714