Given the proliferation of sexually explicit material on the internet, federal and state task forces have recently dedicated specialized law enforcement teams to track the distribution and dissemination of visual material that depicts minors.
Possession of child pornography is both a state and federal crime. Similarly, the promotion or distribution of child pornography is both a state and federal crime. Prior to the internet, a person had to use the mail or travel across interstate lines in order to invoke federal jurisdiction. Because most child pornography is now distributed through interstate communication over the internet, the federal government routinely usurps state prosecution in cases where a large amount of child pornography was seized.
Similar to accusations of sexual molestation, the taint of an arrest for possession of child pornography is something that is nearly impossible to remove. However, unlike the defense against allegations of molestation, the use of computer forensic tools can help vindicate a person who had no intent or knowledge of the images on their computer. |
