Child Pornography

An allegation of a sexual nature, especially when children are involved, can be emotionally stressful and take its toll on your well-being and that of those around you. Above all, this is particularly true for well-known people and professionals whose livelihood can depend on their reputation.  If a person is convicted, their name could be added to the sex offenders register.

Sexual offences allegations including those of child pornography can be horrific and humiliating to deal with. Not only do some offences carry terms of imprisonment of 10 years if convicted, but any person accused of such a crime will be extremely concerned about allegations being made public, associated media attention and the repercussions of the claims in general.

These cases can cause sleepless nights, anxiety and horror.

We understand the need for you and your family to be advised and informed on how court proceedings work and that such procedures may be unfamiliar to you. Often sexual offences are based purely on the issue of consent and presenting accurate and factual legal arguments to support this is key. However, when it comes to children, there is no need for prosecutors to prove that consent was absent. All that is required to be proven is that the act took place and that the alleged victim is of a certain age.

It’s crucial to engage with a competent sexual offences solicitors as early as possible in the allegations.

We have put together some questions and answers to provide you with guidance and support. We aim to make this easier for you and to provide you with the information that you need to take the first step in protecting yourself.

If you have a question that you cannot find an answer to on this page; contact us, and we will do all that we can to provide you with information.

Have you been accused of Child Pornography offences?

If you or somebody close to you has been arrested or charged with a child pornography allegation, there’s no doubt that you will probably be feeling very stressed, confused, worried and concerned about what’s going to happen.

In some cases, the charge is not based on fact but purely on allegations. However, whatever your circumstances it can be very stressful as you wonder who will find out and how this will affect your day to day life. You will be concerned about what friends, family and colleagues will think of you.

What happens in a Child Pornography investigation?

In every case of a child pornography allegation, the circumstances are different. However, it’s vital that you seek legal advice to support you and guide you. You need to engage experienced lawyers who can provide you with the expertise and guidance to handle the investigation process. The process can be complicated and lengthy. It’s crucial that you engage legal professionals who have experience in defending in sexual offence cases and whom you can speak to in the strictest confidence.

You’ll typically discover that you’re being investigated for child pornography offences when you get a knock on the door from the police. The police may invite you to the police station for an interview. You have a right to consult a lawyer and the right to attend the meeting with someone else.

You may have been falsely accused of child pornography

Please also note that in many cases, people are wrongly accused of child pornography offences. If you feel this is you, there are many reasons why you may have had false claims made about you. In some cases, it’s malicious, and in others, it could be somebody who is seeking a financial payment.  You may even have lent your computer to somebody, and they downloaded, produced or distributed the indecent images using your equipment.

Without a lawyer, you cannot find out more until the interview

You’re very unlikely to be told why you’re being investigated or any other details about your child pornography offence case until you are at the police interview and in a situation where you can be questioned.

Your police interview will be recorded so that any evidence can be used as evidence in court.

However, you have the right to access legal advice. It’s vital to hire an experienced and competent child pornography solicitor to support you and provide you with guidance about how best to handle the case. Once you have engaged a solicitor, they will examine your situation and what’s known about it and then will create a strong defence.

Instruct a legal professional as soon as possible

If you are being investigated or you have been charged, it is imperative that you seek early advice and guidance to protect your position. The best approach to take now is to engage a legal professional who has experience of building a defence for sexual offences and child pornography cases.

What should you do if you get arrested or charged with Child Pornography Offences?

Child pornography and any other sexual offence is an area of law that can be complicated. It’s also an area of law that can have a devastating effect on the lives of anybody who is involved – accused and accuser.

It’s recommended that the first action you take is to hire a child pornography or sexual offences solicitor to help you. Not only will you gain access to the most current laws and defence strategies, but you will be given supportive guidance to get you through this challenging time in your life.

You’ll be supported throughout the entire process, and a competent lawyer will ensure that you get the best possible outcome.

Can the police search my home?

What many people find confusing is that along with interviewing you, it is likely that a search warrant has been issued so that the law enforcement officers can make a thorough investigation. This includes your home, smartphone, tablet, computer plus any data containers such as hard drives.

During the search, your emails and social media accounts will be examined for evidence.

Could you go to prison for Child Pornography?

Child pornography is a serious crime. Whether you will need to spend time inside a prison will depend on what the crime is that you are convicted of and how well you are defended in court.

If you are convicted of child pornography offences, it is possible that you’ll be handed a sentence of imprisonment as punishment. By taking the right steps, and engaging a competent sexual offences lawyer it may be possible to have your case dismissed before it reaches the point of being a trial in court.

We handle sexual offences cases regularly and have deep expertise in this field. We can help you by recommending the best course of action to take to mitigate the outcome. No matter what size your case is, get in touch.

What type of sentence could you get for Child Pornography Offences?

Depending on what you are convicted of, your name may be added to the sexual offenders register. Prison sentences typically range from 3 months to 10 years imprisonment.

If you engage a sexual offences solicitor who has deep experience and knowledge of this area of the law, they will advise you of what the typical sentence is for a crime of this nature, should you be convicted.

Does a conviction for Child Pornography go on your criminal record?

If your child pornography case is heard in court and you are convicted of the crime, your conviction will be recorded on your CRB / police record.

The period of the endorsement will depend on the nature and length of the sentence imposed on you.

In addition, your name will be added to the ‘sex offenders register’ and you will be subjected to ‘notification requirements’.

How Can Stuart Miller Solicitors Help?

Defending sexual offences against children allegations since being established more than 35 years ago, our sex offences solicitors are veterans in this sensitive field, requiring truly exceptional lawyering. We are also specialist cybercrime solicitors able to navigate the complex realms of the internet with substantial proficiency and able to extract or challenge key evidence contained on digital platforms such as computers, mobile phones and USBs.

With immense expertise defending cases involving the viewing, downloading, possessing, copying, sharing and distributing of child pornography material. We have successfully represented those found with tens of thousands of illegal images and developed expert strategies to maximise the chances of success in these cases. The key to affording you the best opportunity of winning is to take very early action and try to avoid prosecution. Where possible, our sexual offences lawyers have the tactical and persuasive skills to try to close an investigation before it takes off.

types of Child pornography?

Other more serious offences of child pornography are child grooming and then exploitation of children for personal gratification. In these cases, the abuse is often recorded to produce and share child pornography images and videos with others holding similar interests.

Child grooming occurs when an adult uses the internet to reach out and develop emotional and sexual relationships with children under 16 years. Most often, communication encourages a meeting where further and more serious sex offences can occur. These offences can range from sexual activity, rape and other more graphic forms of abuse.

The expert sex offences lawyers at this firm have regularly acted in very high-profile child grooming and child pornography cases. We have represented those accused of historical sexual offences, those in religious leadership positions and those holding large databases of material.

How we can help in Child Pornography cases?

We are steadfast in ensuring that the prosecution has a strong enough case to bring before the courts before you are required to put forward a defence. We are further meticulous in ensuring the evidence produced has been seized and retained legally, and if not, we challenge the admissibility and use of this evidence in court.

We understand the defences available to you, and we can work with you and your circumstances to extract the best defence material needed for success.

We will work with renowned and award-winning barristers who will stand with us side by side throughout your case. We have excellent relationships with forensic experts and digital communication analysts who can be called upon to give evidence in your favour. We appreciate that the tiniest detail in the prosecution’s evidence or in your defence material could make the difference. We are committed to making an early start, to exploring all avenues, to securing all potential evidence and offering you the best solutions.

Book a free consultation with Child Pornography Lawyers

If you have been accused of child pornography offences then it is of paramount importance that you contact us immediately. The sooner you engage your legal team, the better your chances of success. Our team are here to listen to your side of the case, to talk you through the process, and to put together a defence that will be in your best interests.

With some of the most experienced and talented solicitors in the criminal law world, we have the right people to defend you in allegations of sex offences. We have a track record of success which can be found in the sexual-cases section of the website and we are proud of our proactive and energetic approach to criminal defence. We are trusted and recognised as a firm of specialist sexual offences solicitors and we have provided advice and guidance to journalists reporting in national newspapers such as the BBC and the Independent.

Due to the sensitive nature of our sexual offences cases, we publish very limited information about them on our website.

Our team are very competent and can support you in any sexual offences that you may be accused of. It’s critical that you engage a solicitor who has deep experience and knowledge of the laws. Being sensitive and considerate of the nature of the cases that we handle is also an important goal for us.

Would you like to discuss your case before instructing us?

If you’d like to have a no obligation chat with us before you instruct us to take your case, then call us today. Please contact us and ask to speak to our sexual offences lawyers or our cybercrime lawyers to arrange a meeting in person, online or by telephone. If you prefer, you can WhatsApp us from the link you will find on this page.

In addition to giving you a free consultation, we can also represent you at the police station if you’ve been arrested. We can look at securing your legal aid.