Instances of child pornography have increased greatly in recent years, fueled mostly by the Internet revolution. Though the crime has become easier to commit — even accidentally, as is sometimes apparently the case — the punishments are still very severe. Even a single video or image can result in years of prison time.
A North Carolina teacher and a former principal were both sentenced to serious prison sentences this month for their involvement in a child pornography case. The events in question apparently occurred in 2010, when both were still employed at a Hendersonville charter school.
During the court case, the 45-year-old former special education teacher admitted that she produced two sexually explicit videos of children. Both videos involved children under the age of 12.
The woman then used the Internet to send the videos to her boss, the principal of the school. He admitted to watching the videos once before deleting them.
The former teacher pleaded guilty to charges of transportation and possession of child porn. She was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Upon her release, she will be registered as a sex offender for an additional 25 years.
The former principal pleaded guilty to viewing child pornography and was sentenced to six years in prison. He will have to register as a sex offender for 15 years following his release.
The heavy sentences reflect the seriousness with which the criminal justice system treats child pornography charges. The Internet makes it possible for a minute’s indiscretion to lead to decades of punishment, a situation that all Internet users should guard against carefully.
Source: UPI.com, “Former principal, teacher sentenced in child porn case” No Author Given, Sep. 19, 2013