Laurel Child Pornography Defense Attorneys

Lawyers for Charges Involving Child Sexual Abuse Materials in Laurel, MD

As law enforcement officials address accusations of sex crimes, they will often pay close attention to offenses that involve the sexual exploitation of children. Crimes related to child pornography or child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) will usually involve extensive investigations as officials take steps to identify people who possess these materials and those who are involved in the creation or distribution of child porn.

The charges that may apply in these situations are some of the most serious criminal matters prosecuted in Maryland state courts and federal courts. Those who are convicted will often be sentenced to lengthy terms in prison, and after being released, they will be classified as registered sex offenders. Because of the complex legal and technical issues involved in these cases and the consequences that a person may face as soon as they are accused of an offense, representation from a criminal defense attorney is essential.

At Silverman Thompson, we work to protect the rights of people in Laurel who are facing child pornography charges. Our lawyers have experience defending against these charges in both state and federal courts. We can provide guidance on the options for defense that may be available, and we will help our clients determine how to resolve charges while avoiding convictions whenever possible.

What Is CSAM?

Visual depictions of minors who are engaging in sexual conduct will usually fall under the category of child pornography. Any materials that depict children in a sexually explicit manner may be considered illegal. The sexual conduct depicted may include intercourse, fellatio, cunnilingus, analingus, anal penetration, or penetration with an object or body part. Nude depictions of children may also be considered CSAM if they were created or used for sexual purposes.

Child pornography may include physical photographs and printed materials, as well as videos that have been recorded on physical media like DVDs, film, or videotapes. However, most modern child pornography cases involve digital files. Images and videos may be stored on computers or other devices. They may also be accessed on websites, saved in cloud storage platforms, or shared through email, text messages, social media, or file-sharing apps.

Computer-generated images may also be classified as CSAM in some cases. If these images appear to depict a real child who can be identified, they may qualify as child pornography. People who are accused of using photo or video editing software to manipulate existing images of a minor may be charged with child pornography offenses, including when they allegedly use AI to create sexually explicit images or videos.

How Online Activity and Digital Files Factor Into CSAM Cases

The majority of cases in which people are charged with CSAM offenses will involve digital evidence, including files stored on computers or other devices, online activity, and electronic communications using methods like email or social media. At Silverman Thompson, our attorneys can help clients address evidence that was gathered through methods such as:

Monitoring of File-Sharing Services

Law enforcement agencies will often track the traffic on file-sharing networks that may be used to download or share CSAM. When they believe that child pornography has been downloaded through these networks, they may take steps to identify the IP addresses associated with the activity. This may point them to a specific device or home network that was used to download CSAM or make materials available to others

After an IP address is identified, investigators may obtain a search warrant that will allow them to search a home and seize devices that used that IP address. However, the identification of an IP address will not necessarily point to the specific person who committed an offense. In many cases, multiple devices will share a single internet connection, and people from outside a home may also connect to a WiFi network. Our lawyers can raise questions about whether a person knew about activity related to CSAM on their IP address.

Online Monitoring and Reporting

Social media platforms and other online services are legally required to report CSAM that their users have shared. Those reports can lead to investigations. Law enforcement officials may also take steps to track the online activity of a person who is believed to have accessed CSAM or made it available to others. However, these investigations can raise questions about privacy. Our attorneys can review the procedures followed during an investigation to determine whether officers violated a person's rights or exceeded their authority when tracking and monitoring a person.

Undercover Operations

During online investigations, law enforcement officials may also attempt to build cases by communicating with suspects and determining whether they are involved in illegal activities. Undercover officers may pose as children to see if suspects will encourage them to send them sexually explicit photos or videos. They may also see if a person is willing to download child pornography or share CSAM online.

In some of these cases, officers may engage in entrapment by coercing or encouraging someone to do something illegal when they would not have done so on their own. Our lawyers can help clients address these types of unethical behavior when defending against CSAM-related accusations.

Examinations of Electronic Devices

Once investigators identify a suspect and obtain a search warrant, they may search the person's home and seize any electronic devices they own or possess, including smartphones, tablets, computers, or anything else used to access the internet or view photos or videos. When examining devices that have been seized, they may use software to recover files, review a person's online activity, access their accounts, and check text messages or other forms of communication. They will be looking for digital evidence showing that a person committed a CSAM offense.

Our attorneys can look at how devices were seized, taking steps to identify violations of a person's rights through searches that were performed without search warrants or that went beyond what officers were allowed to do. We can also look at the procedures followed during forensic examinations of devices. Depending on the facts of a case, we may be able to show that a person was unaware of files that had been downloaded to a device and did not knowingly possess or distribute CSAM.

Contact Our Laurel, Maryland Child Pornography Lawyers

Experienced legal representation is crucial for anyone who has been accused of a crime related to child pornography. At Silverman Thompson, our lawyers understand how to address these accusations and how to help clients defend against serious sex crime convictions. Contact our Laurel CSAM defense attorneys by calling 410-385-2225 and setting up a free consultation.