Arizona, the penalties for committing sexual exploitation of a minor are some of the toughest in the nation. Laws surrounding these crimes are aggressively enforced by states, county, and local law enforcement agencies.

Of course, they are not the only agencies involved in sexual exploitation law enforcement. When child pornography is accessed online, federal child pornography laws come into play.

If you are facing Arizona or federal criminal charges involving child pornography, contact the AZ Defenders law offices immediately. Our Phoenix child pornography attorneys pride themselves on finding weaknesses in the prosecution’s case. Call us at (480) 248-7666 for a free consultation or contact us online.

Why You Need to Hire a Private Criminal Defense Attorney

Child pornography is an incredibly serious state and federal charge that could come with life-altering consequences. If you are convicted of this crime for taking or receiving explicit selfies of a minor, you could be facing a prison sentence among other serious penalties.

The most effective way to protect yourself and your future in child pornography cases is by hiring an experienced and reputable child pornography criminal defense attorney in Phoenix to represent you.

Nine Ways Having a Phoenix Child Pornography Lawyer Can Help You

Hiring a child pornography defense lawyer could come with many benefits, including: 

  • In-depth knowledge of Arizona’s child pornography criminal laws and statutes
  • Years of experience navigating your county’s courtrooms and legal procedures
  • Full-service capabilities with state-of-the-art legal resources and staff
  • Protection from the prosecution during pre-trial interrogations and hearings
  • Creative and personalized child pornography criminal defense strategies tailored to your needs
  • The ability to negotiate a satisfactory plea deal with reduced charges and penalties
  • The power to defend you during a child pornography criminal trial, if necessary
  • Access to expert witnesses and a network of other professionals
  • Assistance with appealing a child pornography conviction

Why Choose Our Phoenix Child Pornography Lawyers?

The stakes are high when facing child pornography charges. You can lose your freedom, face severe fines and other financial penalties, and also suffer irreparable damage to your public reputation.

Choosing the right child pornography criminal defense law firm is essential to minimizing or avoiding the negative effects of a child pornography accusation.

Here are three reasons why you should choose AZ Defenders:

  • We understand that you may be unfamiliar with the criminal justice system and stressed about the child pornography charges you are facing. 
  • We handle everything to support you and your case.
  • Our Phoenix criminal defense lawyers have more than 20 years of legal experience and have handled many child pornography cases involving alleged internet sex crimes.
  • We are eager to provide aggressive criminal defense in Arizona state court or federal court and are not inclined to settle for a guilty plea.

You Are Not Alone When Facing Child Pornography Charges

AZ Defenders is a trusted and reputable source of top-tier criminal defense in Phoenix and throughout Arizona. We have achieved outstanding results for past clients who were facing even the most serious and complicated child pornography charges.

Our team of attorneys and support staff will work tirelessly to pursue positive case results on your behalf as our client. We offer free initial case consultations 24/7 for you to speak to a child pornography criminal defense lawyer about your particular situation at no charge.

What are Selfies and Child Pornography?

Child pornography may be defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor.

Most people are familiar with selfies—photos of oneself, typically taken with a smartphone. Pornographic selfies of minors are not protected under the Constitution. They are considered internet sex crimes and a type of child sexual exploitation.

Child pornography crimes involving the internet or occurring across state lines may be prosecuted as a federal crime by the U.S. Department of Justice. A person may face child pornography criminal liability under both state and federal child pornography laws.

Arizona Child Pornography Laws

Under Arizona Revised Statutes Section 13-3553, sexual exploitation of a minor is a class two felony.

This child pornography charge involves knowingly recording, filming, photographing, developing, duplicating, distributing, transporting, exhibiting, receiving, selling, purchasing, electronically transmitting, exchanging, or possessing any visual depiction (including selfies) in which a minor is engaged in exploitive exhibition or sexual conduct. Often, visual depiction takes the form of computer files containing images portraying the sexual abuse of children or other sexual conduct involving a minor engaging in sexual acts.

If the defendant is 18 or older and tried as an adult, and the exploited minor is under the age of 15, this child pornography crime is punishable pursuant to Section 13-705, which deals with sentencing for dangerous crimes against children and means prison time if convicted.

List of child pornagraphy laws in Arizona

Possible Consequences for Minors

Although state child pornography laws were designed to protect children and minors, it is not only adults who can be charged with a crime for violations of the statutes.

If a teenager takes a pornographic selfie and sends it to another underage friend, both the sender and the receiver may be prosecuted for child pornography.

If the selfie makes the rounds of the underage social circle online or through direct sharing, anyone who distributed or received the photo may be subject to child pornography prosecution under laws related to juvenile crimes.

Penalties for Child Pornography and Selfies

The Arizona statute concerning sexual exploitation of a minor is very broad and covers a wide range of potentially innocent conduct. Our state has some of the steepest penalties in the U.S. for child pornography crimes.

Adult conviction of possessing an image of a sexual act with a minor carries severe child pornography penalties, including:

  • A minimum of 10 years in prison for each violation
  • No possibility of early release
  • Hefty fines and surcharges
  • Years of probation
  • Ankle monitoring device (house arrest)
  • Sex offender registration
  • Loss of employment
  • Permanent felony record
  • Loss of constitutional rights
  • Restricted access to children, including your own
  • Child custody and family law consequences

Sexual exploitation of a minor is a Class 2 Felony if the minor is under the age of 15, which can result in 10 to 24 years imprisonment under Section 13-705 of the law. This is per count, meaning the sentence can be doubled or tripled for multiple counts.

The severe potential penalties for a child porn conviction are why you need to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible.

Potential Defenses to Child Pornography Charges Involving Selfies

Do not assume that a conviction is certain if you have been arrested for possession of child pornography in Phoenix, Arizona.

Cases involving nude or explicit selfies are complicated and subject to many factors. This means that there are opportunities to defend yourself in negotiations with law enforcement or in court.

With the right attorney, you can craft a solid child pornography defense strategy that aims to protect you from the worst possible outcome of your case.

While we do not guarantee results, we at AZ Defenders promise to defend your rights as aggressively as we can throughout the legal process as your attorneys.

Examples of Defenses When Accused of Child Pornography Possession

Although each child pornography case is unique, possible defenses to this serious crime include:

  • Reasonable doubt
  • False accusation
  • No minor actually depicted in the image or video
  • No probable cause to obtain a search warrant to obtain evidence
  • Illegal search and seizure of your phone or property (illegally obtained evidence)
  • Other examples of police misconduct
  • Insufficient evidence
  • Accidental viewing of pornographic images
  • You did not knowingly possess child pornography
  • The images were unknowingly on a shared computer
  • Faulty tracking software
  • Police entrapment in a chatroom
  • Coerced confession

At the AZ Defenders law firm, we do not simply push all of our child pornography clients to plead no contest or accept plea deals to these serious charges. Instead, we tailor our defense strategies for each unique case and client for optimal results every time.

In certain circumstances, we may seek case dismissal, a plea deal for reduced charges and penalties, or an acquittal at trial. As your lawyers, you can count on us to work passionately and relentlessly on your case for the best possible outcome.

Contact Our Phoenix Child Porn Attorneys

Sending, receiving, or possessing a sexually explicit selfie or picture of a minor can expose you to serious criminal liability for viewing child pornography.

If you have been charged with possessing child pornography involving selfies, call AZ Defenders right away for a free consultation with a Phoenix child pornography lawyer.

We have extensive experience and a track record of successfully defending accused sex offender clients in the criminal justice system, are well-versed in child pornography laws at the state and federal level, and can maximize your chances of realizing a favorable outcome.

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