Los Angeles Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog

Sixteen men are facing federal charges in Los Angeles and elsewhere after the Federal Bureau of Investigation broke up what it says was an online child pornography ring, the New York Times reported.

An L.A. Internet Crimes Defense Attorney should always be called to represent a defendant facing child pornography charges involving online images of minors. As we wrote recently on our L.A. Criminal Defense Blog, few crimes carry the stigma associated with sex crimes against children.

Job loss, loss of reputation, strained or broken relationships with friends or family, and the prospect of being registered as a registered sex offender await those who are convicted. Strict limitations as conditions of probation or parole, including restricted or forbidden access to the Internet, public parks and areas known to be frequented by children, can severely impede your future freedom and movement. Unfortunately, a suspect will frequently talk to investigators with the hopes of avoiding charges. Detectives know this and use it to their advantage.

If you have been approached for questioning, you are very likely to be charged. Please consult an experienced criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles immediately. Too often, the best evidence against a defendant is his or her own words during interview or interrogation.

Additionally, federal charges should always be handled by a defense lawyer experienced in federal court, where the rules and laws are much different than state court. Child pornography on the Internet is frequently prosecuted in federal court because the allegations often cross state and national boundaries. The charges can be very serious because each image is often charged as its own offense, leading to dozens or even hundreds of felony charges for the same alleged behavior.

In this case, the government alleges the scope of the child pornography ring included defendants in the United States, South America, Europe and New Zealand. A tip from Europe in 2008 prompted the investigation. Five of 16 suspects in the United States have already pleaded guilty. Some of the network's 35 members remain unidentified. Those convicted in U.S. federal court face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Continue reading "Federal Internet Crimes require aggressive, experienced defense in Los Angeles" »

An elementary school teacher is facing child pornography charges in Los Angeles, the Times reported.

Such charges can be devastating. Job loss, loss of reputation and the estrangement of friends and family frequently result. More than many other types of charges, you are deemed guilty until proven innocent and a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney will need to move aggressively on all fronts in the fight for your freedom and your reputation.

Additionally, the consequences of sex-offender registration can haunt you for years to come, requiring that you register with authorities or face additional legal problems, and in some cases even requiring that your neighbors be individually notified of your presence in the community.

In this case, the 53-year-old Carson elementary teacher is accused of posting and distributing pornography over the Internet and has been placed on unpaid leave as he faces the charges in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The advent of the Internet has seen an explosion in such crimes. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that more computer crimes originate in California and Florida than anywhere else in the nation. When it comes to child pornography, there have been documented cases of computer viruses and file-sharing networks being responsible for the presences of illicit images on a computer. Additionally, other users, including teenagers, may have been responsible for images found on a homeowner's computer.

The L.A. Unified's Dominguez Elementary teacher was home when a search warrant was served on his computer. Police say he admitted to downloading and viewing images of child pornography. Police seized several computers and DVDs from the residence.

He is charged with one count of possession of child pornography and one county of child pornography.

A defendant facing charges involving sex crimes in L.A. or the surrounding area should not speak to investigators and should instead seek out the assistance of an experienced defense attorney as soon as possible -- even before charges are filed. Whether the defendant made an admission in this case will be for the court to decide, certainly whatever statement he did make is being characterized by law enforcement as a confession.

Exercising your right to remain silent is a good first step toward building a defense.

Continue reading "School teacher charged with computer crimes, child pornography in Los Angeles" »

In what sounds like one of David Letterman's Stupid Human Tricks, a California couple confessed on Dr. Phil that for the last 7 years they had been shoplifting toys and selling them on eBay. The couple, Matthew Eaton, 34, and his 26-year-old wife Laura, told a national TV audience they had made more than $1 million stealing from stores in several states and reselling the stolen merchandize online, a crime known as e-fencing. When the couple confessed on camera, an incredulous Dr. Phil said, "I'm no lawyer or cop, but isn't that a federal crime?"

A San Diego federal grand jury certainly thought so, recently indicting the two. Investigators raiding the couple's San Marcos home found more than 500 boxes of toys and other items.

The Eatons told Dr. Phil that they often used their three toddlers as decoys during shoplifting excursions. "Sometimes we just kind of go in together as a nice little family to make it seem like we're normal people, and we don't look like the kind of people that steal," Matthew said.

The Eatons said they were telling their story to help them stop shoplifting. Dr. Phil warned the Eatons to stop, but four months later they were still at it. At a court hearing last week the Eatons pled no guilty. They are being held pending bail, and their children have been placed with relatives.

Stealing something from a store is shoplifting. When the property stolen is valued at $400 or less, it is considered petty theft in California. When objects stolen are valued over $400, shoplifting is considered grand theft which carries more stringent penalties. To find out more about the crime of shoplifting and your legal rights, visit the website of experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Stephen Rodriguez.

• 1 in 5 tweens, children aged 8 to 12, have posted personal information about themselves on the Internet.


• 1 in 4 pre-teens have been contacted online by a stranger.


• 1 in 10 tweens have responded and chatted online with someone they didn't know.

Those are some of the disturbing findings of the Tween Internet Safety Survey sponsored by Cox Communications and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. By the time they're 9, most American children have used the Internet. Not quite half (42%) of 8- to 10-year olds have a personal email account. By the time they're 11 and 12, 71% have their own email accounts, 50% have their own cell phone, 41% regularly send instant messages, and more than a third have a profile on a social network site like Facebook or MySpace.

Of those preteens with social network profiles, the survey found that 61% posted photos of themselves to their site, 48% admitted they had lied about their age on their site, and 51% said they'd received messages from people they didn't know.

The survey and an accompanying summit hosted by John Walsh, host of Fox TV's America's Most Wanted, brought together teens, tweens and experts to talk about the perils children encounter in cyberspace. Walsh called social network sites "a hunting ground" for pedophiles and warned that posting personal profiles on such sites increases children's risk of being contacted by strangers, being bullied by peers, or being the victim of an embarrassing attack or worse. Often the danger comes from strangers preying on unsuspecting children. Sometimes, though, the danger comes from peers -- petty jealousies, bullying or horsing around that goes too far.

When committed by one child against another, these crimes are prosecuted in the California juvenile court system. "Juvenile courts handle cases involving children between the ages of 10 and 17," explains expert Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Stephen Rodriquez. "The intent is to rehabilitate the child, not punish him or her."

However, when an adult acts against a child on the Internet, he can be charged with a sex crime against a minor, a serious crime in the state of California that can be life changing. Conviction is likely to result in a felony record, a prison sentence, and lifetime registration as a sex offender. Early defense by an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer can minimize charges brought against you.

-Legal Pro