Archive for the ‘Possession of Child Pornography’ Category

Michigan Sex Crime – Man Arrested for Using Public Library’s Wireless Internet to Download Child Pornography

Thursday, December 29th, 2011

A 43 year-old man in Lowell, Michigan, was arrested this year for using the free wireless internet signal from the Kent District Library branch in Lowell to download child pornography. The man constructed his own digital antenna that allowed him to pick up the internet signal from his apartment, which is located approximately 100 yards from the library. If it weren’t for an anonymous tip to the federal government regarding his activities, the man may not have been caught because the illegal material was accessed through the library’s wireless router rather than through his own internet service provider. However, after investigating, authorities did find numerous pornographic images of children on his hard drive.

The Lowell resident faced charges for possession of child sexually abusive material (CSAM), unauthorized access to a computer, and using a computer to commit a felony. All three of these crimes are felonies. In Michigan, sex crimes charges are taken very seriously by police, prosecutors, and judges. All criminal defendants should be considered not guilty until the government can prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. That is why it is imperative that a defendant have an attorney who is both highly-skilled and experienced at defending sex crime allegations.

The sex crime attorneys at Kronzek & Cronkright have many years of combined experience fighting allegations of possession of child pornography and many other sex crimes. We aggressively defend our clients, working hard to achieve favorable outcomes in all cases. Let us put our skills and experience to work for you!

Michigan Sex Crime Attorneys – Michigan Man Sentenced for Using Internet to Entice Moms to Abuse Their Own Children

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

Steven Demink, a former used car salesman from Redford Township, Michigan, was recently sentenced in Federal court to life in prison for enticing 7 moms to sexually abuse 12 of their own children. Demink created a fake online persona of Dalton St. Clair, a young, single father. He used this persona to meet single mothers online and get them to trust him. In one case, Demink pretended to be a psychologist and told one of the mothers that it could help her deal with her mentally-ill child if she got closer to the child. Demink encouraged all the moms to sexually abuse their own children and send images or live video of the molestation to Demink. Criminal charges were also filed against the mothers.

Demink was caught when one of the children confided to his grandmother that his mom had forced him to remove his clothing. Police investigation led to Demink and his role in this internet sex scheme. Most good criminal defense lawyers know that internet based sex crimes impose very significant penalties. For Demink, this was certainly true as United States District Court Judge Gerald Rosen sentenced him to life in prison. United States Attorney Barbara McQuade commented, “This sentence reflects the outrageous harm this predator inflicted on innocent children. In some ways, the defendant has already imposed a life sentence on them.”

If you have the slightest hint that the police are investigating you for a Michigan sex crime or federal sex crime, a computer crime or a child pornography crime, now is the time to get an experienced, tough lawyer. Expert attorneys will jump in right away and begin your defense immediately. All sex crimes carry very stiff penalties, including prison time, probation, parole, and registration on Michigan’s sex offender registry. Your lawyer will be your advocate in and out of court.

Michigan Sexting Laws – Oakland County Prosecutor Reminds Students of Sexting Dangers

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

Sexting: have you heard of it? Sexting is the sending of sexually explicit photographs through electronic media, usually done on iPhones, Androids, Blackberrys, and other smart phones and picture texting phones.

Though it seems innocent enough, the problem is that when the image is of someone under 18, child pornography laws apply. That is why Oakland County Prosecutor, Jessica Cooper recently spoke to students at Harrison High School. She wanted to highlight the dangers of sexting. Cooper stated that everything in electronic communication is permanent. Teens, especially, like to share these sexually explicit messages with their friends. Cooper stated, “Somebody gets mad, they send pictures to the football team, the basketball team … grandparents, a minister. That’s how mean, that’s how vicious it can be.” Not only does sexting cause embarrassment for the person in the photo, but it can also lead to criminal convictions for almost everyone involved.

Imagine a scenario where a girl under 18 takes a nude photograph of herself and sends it to her boyfriend. The girl can be charged with creation of child pornography and her boyfriend can be charged with possession of child pornography. If the boyfriend sends it on to his friend, the boyfriend can be charged with distribution of child pornography and the friend can now be charged with possession of child pornography. As you can see, when an images spreads throughout a school, there are multiple teens who can be charged with Michigan or federal sex crimes. Penalties for these crimes can include up to 20 years in prison.

Being convicted of a sex crime is very serious. Punishments can include jail or prison stays, the payment of fines, and registration on Michigan’s sex offender registry. Being on the sex offender registry causes embarrassment, shame, difficulty finding employment, difficulty getting loans, restrictions on where one can live and work, and more.

As criminal defense attorneys, we do see the irony in the fact that a 16 year-old in Michigan can consent to sexual intercourse, yet they cannot legally take a nude photograph of themselves. That is why we aggressively defend our clients who have been charged with sex crimes relating to sexting.