Painesville Child Pornography Lawyer

Painesville Child Pornography Attorney

Facing criminal charges for child pornography can be immensely overwhelming and life-altering, affecting your personal, professional, and social life. Simply an accusation can permanently affect your life, and a conviction can have severe consequences. It is important to protect your reputation and your freedom with legal defense from a Painesville child pornography lawyer. They can help you defend yourself against these serious criminal charges.

Addressing Child Pornography Charges With Fortress Law Group, LLC

Fortress Law Group, LLC has served clients throughout our Ohio communities for over 15 years. We know how serious these charges are and the impact they can have on every aspect of your life. Our firm can help you navigate your criminal charges in court, which would likely be the Lake County Common Pleas Court, General Division, unless the case is charged at the federal level. If you believe you are being investigated, you need to reach out to our skilled team.

We fight for you, assessing the right method of defense and working to minimize the charges against you or prevent a conviction altogether. Matthew C. Bangerter formerly served as an assistant prosecutor, providing him with insight into the methods the prosecution uses when prosecuting criminal cases. He also has a unique scientific educational background that helps him better evaluate forensic evidence in cases.

Understanding Child Pornography Laws in Ohio

The law in Ohio prohibits the creation, reproduction, publishing, promotion or advertisement for sale or distribution, display, delivery, exhibition, renting, buying, possessing, or controlling of obscene material or sexually oriented material that involves minors as a participant or an observer. This doesn’t apply to materials used for medical, scientific, educational, or similarly proper purposes.

Nearly 2,400 crimes against society were reported in Lake County in 2023, a small percentage of which were classified as other crimes against society and can include pornography offenses. More than half of the arrests in 2022 in Ohio were crimes against society, although most were drug or alcohol offenses.

In Ohio, all child pornography offenses are felonies. There are also federal laws that prohibit the creation, distribution, and possession of child pornography, which carry potentially years of imprisonment.

What Are Child Pornography Penalties in Painesville?

Under Ohio law, most child pornography offenses are second-, third-, or fourth-degree felonies, whether it is obscene material or sexually-oriented material. The penalties for these felony offenses in Ohio include:

• Fourth-degree felony. This results in between six and 18 months of imprisonment, and up to $5,000 in fines.
• Third-degree felony. Child pornography charges that are third-degree felonies have mandatory minimum imprisonment terms of three years, with a maximum term in certain cases up to five years. There is also a fine of up to $10,000.
• Second-degree felony. These felonies have a minimum term of three years and up to eight years of imprisonment in most cases for child pornography offenses, and up to $15,000 in fines.

A conviction leads to these immediate criminal consequences and also leads to required registration as a sex offender. Depending on the offense and its severity, sex offender registration can last for up to 15 years to life. Being a registered sex offender can limit where you can live. Collateral consequences are compounded by a criminal record, which can make it harder to find housing, jobs, and other opportunities.

Child pornography charges are likely to be charged federally if the materials crossed state lines, either physically or digitally. Federal offenses generally have more severe penalties.

Why Is It Important to Hire a Child Pornography Lawyer?

When you hire a child pornography lawyer, you are more likely to secure the ideal outcome in your criminal case. The consequences of these cases can be severe, even if you are not convicted, so it is essential to work quickly to establish a strong defense.

Your attorney reviews the specifics of the charges against you, the facts of your arrest, and other circumstances that impact how you are charged and the options for defense. They help you make choices regarding a potential plea deal or a defense during trial. Your defense lawyer protects your rights at each step of the case.

FAQs

Is Viewing the Same as Possession of CP?

Viewing child pornography can be considered the same as possession, and if the material is downloaded, it is considered the same as possession. The display of child pornography is a criminal offense in Ohio. Under federal law, knowingly receiving child pornography or knowingly accessing with the intent to view is a criminal offense.

What Does CP Stand for in Crime?

CP in crime stands for child pornography. Under federal law, there are many activities related to child pornography that are illegal, including making, selling, advertising, transporting, distributing, presenting, or soliciting images, videos, or other depictions of a minor conducting sexually explicit actions. Federal law also criminalizes sending, offering, or distributing sexually explicit material of minors to minors to induce that minor to engage in the same activity.

Is Sexting With a Minor Illegal in Ohio?

Yes, sexting with a minor is illegal in Painesville, Ohio under child pornography laws. Both state and federal laws criminalize the creation and distribution of child pornography, which also applies to any sexually explicit materials that minors create of themselves. Minors who send, possess, or receive this material could be charged with these offenses. Even between consenting minors, it is still a criminal offense, although courts may use their discretion for penalties in these cases.

What Are the Criminal Penalties for Child Pornography Charges?

Criminal penalties for child pornography charges can include years in prison and significant fines. Under federal law, some offenses result in between five and 20 years, while the offense of knowingly accessing to view child pornography has a maximum of ten years.

In Ohio, all child pornography offenses are felonies. A fourth-degree felony could result in between six and 18 months of imprisonment, while a second-degree felony can result in between three and eight years of imprisonment.

Defending Your Future With a Painesville Child Pornography Attorney

You need to work with a skilled criminal defense attorney to find the right defense to child pornography charges. At Fortress Law Group, LLC, we bring exceptional and responsive legal guidance to each case. Reach out to our firm today.

Painesville Child Pornography Lawyer Reviews

Meet Your Attorney

Matthew C. Bangerter

Founder, Fortress Law Group, LLC

Matthew draws on his unique background as a former Assistant Prosecutor and his scientific expertise in molecular genetics to bring unparalleled precision and strategy to criminal defense in Northeast Ohio. Whether you’re facing misdemeanor charges, serious felony indictments, or federal prosecution, he builds defense strategies rooted in forensic evidence analysis, cutting-edge legal theory, and an unwavering commitment to protecting your constitutional rights and positioning you for the strongest outcome in court.

Call (440) 659-1315