Fighting Child Pornography Charges

At Sweeney and Associates, LLC, in Quincy, Massachusetts, our defense lawyers provide strong representation against serious state and federal sex crimes charges related to illegal child pornography. We have aggressively represented hundreds of clients in life-altering cases. We are here to advise you and your family regarding legal matters of utmost importance.

Law Enforcement's Investigation Against You

Peer-to-peer networks and chat rooms are self-monitoring, and they report potential violations to law enforcement. State and federal agencies have agents who also monitor these sites and track IP addresses right back to your computer.

If you are suspected of downloading, distributing or producing child pornography, then law enforcement will obtain a search warrant for your computer and hard drive. When the police serve the warrant, they will also want to question you. Most people end up irreparably hurting their case by giving a statement to the police during these searches. You have a Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and to remain silent, so use it!

Oftentimes, the outcome of your case will depend on whether or not you gave a statement to the police. By the time the police show up on your doorstep, they have already determined that you have committed a crime and that you are going to be arrested. Nothing you say will change their minds. The only thing to do at this point is to remain silent and hire an experienced attorney. Trying to talk your way out of being charged and trying to explain your actions will only harm your case.

Always remember that you do not have to make a statement or answer any questions asked by the police without your defense lawyer present. Always consult an experienced defense attorney before talking to law enforcement. Contact Sweeney and Associates, LLC, and our Boston criminal defense team for a free, confidential consultation about your case.

Navigating the Legal System

With any case involving child pornography, our primary goal is always to fight the charges against you and to force the government to prove not only that it was your computer, but that it was actually you who used the computer to download or distribute images or videos.

In one case we were involved with, the police raided the wrong home, and then arrested and charged the occupant with child pornography offenses. It took months before he was cleared when it was proven that a neighbor was using his wireless router to access the Internet.

After we obtain and review all discovery, we generally follow one of two paths:

• In some cases, the police may have illegally obtained a statement from you, illegally seized evidence, or failed to follow the proper procedures and protocols. In other cases, the images may fail to meet the statutory definition of child pornography or the person depicted may not be underage. The government may also be unable to prove who was using the computer when the crime was committed. In all of those cases, we will vigorously fight the charges by filing motions to suppress and to dismiss. We will also evaluate the probability of winning at trial based on the unique circumstances of your case.
• In other cases, due to the strength of the evidence, including the statements you may have made to the police, we will try to negotiate a plea agreement with the prosecutor in an attempt to minimize the penalties you face. If a plea agreement is your best option, we will try to negotiate a favorable one.

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