New statistics by the FBI claim that child porn arrests have increased by a staggering 2500%. That is not as high as the thousands of immigration and drug arrests that keep federal courts busy every year, but according to the FBI, no other crime prosecutions are increasing at the rate and speed of child porn arrests.
The increase in child porn prosecutions has been seen after Congress passed new laws that require a mandatory five-year minimum sentence for offenders convicted of these crimes. Besides, investigations into child porn have risen in priority. For instance, child pornography prosecutions have increased by 40% since 2006. In 2009, 2,315 suspects were indicted. Harsher federal laws against child pornography have encouraged more intense and frequent investigations, and an increased rate of prosecution.
Besides, child porn arrests are also increasing because law enforcement agencies are also increasing investigations via the Internet. Very often, arrests are made after law enforcement officers log on to peer-to-peer file sharing networks that are used to transmit images and files between users. One of these file sharing networks, LimeWire has already been linked to several child porn arrests.
The problem with such large-scale prosecution of child pornography cases is that little distinction has been made between people who are involved in hard-core manufacture and distribution of child pornography, and someone who has a mental problem and need immediate treatment. A prison term will do no good for a person with a serious mental problem who would be better benefited by treatment and counseling. Our current laws treat child pornography production and viewing of images on a computer screen with comparable stringency.
Being charged with child pornography can have serious consequences for your personal and professional lives. In such cases, a criminal defense attorney with experience in child pornography can help you protect your rights.