Possession and distribution of child pornography are serious charges - which can cover a wide range of offenses - with the potential for lengthy prison sentences as well as fines paid to the victims. Although there are both state and federal laws criminalizing child pornography, many investigations begin with a report from an internet service provider, and the defendant is charged - often with multiple forms of prohibited conduct - in federal court.

In this program, criminal defense attorney Daniel DeMaria of Merchant Law Group LLP will discuss the fundamentals of federal child pornography offenses including receipt, possession, distribution and production. The course will cover the defense strategies available when defending child pornography cases, best practices in plea bargaining, and the statutory penalty scheme for child pornography offenses, based on both the underlying federal statutes and the U.S. Federal Sentencing Guidelines.  

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss the underlying federal statutes at issue, and the stages of initiation and investigation of a child pornography case
2. Assess how to defend and/or plea bargain in federal child pornography cases
3. Identify best practices in representing a child pornography defendant at sentencing