Mississippi Criminal and Family Law BlogRecently, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas announced that an El Paso man was sentenced in federal court to 160 months (13 years) in prison for receipt and distribution of a visual depiction involving the sexual exploitation of a minor.
According to court documents, the man used a fake social media account to share dozens of files containing Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM) in a group chat over a three-day period between December 31, 2020 and January 2, 2021.
Investigators located the man’s residence and identified additional online accounts where he kept files containing CSEM. In a statement to media, the Office noted, “Predators contemplating to exploit children should heed this Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigation and the sentence handed down . . . . HSI and our law enforcement partners continue to work tirelessly to protect our greatest asset–our children–and focus on arresting and prosecuting those who seek to victimize them.”
This case illustrates the grave consequences for anyone caught not only distributing child pornography, but also for those who receive the material and do not notify authorities.
How Does Mississippi Treat the Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography?
Mississippi law is very clear that no person shall, by any means either physically or electronically, cause, solicit, or knowingly permit, depict, or record any child engaging in sexually explicit conduct or in the simulation of sexually explicit conduct. Furthermore, Mississippi strictly prohibits anyone from receiving or selling any photograph, drawing, sketch, film, video tape or other visual depiction of a child engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
How Does Mississippi Punish the Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography?
Any person who violates the provisions mentioned in the above paragraph shall be guilty of a felony and upon conviction shall be fined between Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) and Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00) and shall be imprisoned for a period of five (5) years to forty (40) years.
Furthermore, any person convicted of a second or additional violation will be fined between One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00) and One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) and shall be imprisoned between twenty (20) years to life.
Additional penalties may include restraining orders, a lifetime on the national sex offender registry, and missing out on a variety of occupational and educational opportunities.
What Should You Do if You or Someone You Know Receives Child Pornography?
If you receive child pornography from any source, notify our office immediately. We will assist you in contacting law enforcement and provide your right to remain silent and have an attorney present during questioning. When you are faced with the consequences of fighting a case like this, you need representation you can trust. You need the help of Vic Carmody Jr., P.A. No matter the circumstances of your case, the sooner you get in touch with one of our expert attorneys, the better chance you have of a favorable outcome.
Over the years, Vic Carmody Jr. has become the champion of criminal defense for the State of Mississippi. Our attorneys know how to fight these cases, and we have a team of qualified experts ready to help. To take the first step in fighting your case, give us a call for a free consultation at (601) 948-4444, option 1, or send us an email at vic@mississippi-lawyers.com.
If you’d like to learn more about Vic Carmody Jr., P.A. and our robust practice areas, please visit our website at www.mississippi-lawyers.com and view our client success stories on www.avvo.com, www.superlawyers.com, and www.martindale.com.