A 60-year-old man from Beaulaville, North Carolina, has been sentenced to a federal prison term of 20 years. He pleaded guilty to receiving child porn in October 2015. The U.S. District judge who sentenced the man took into consideration the fact that he had molested family members, both of whom were young.
Onslow County deputies found over 1,000 videos depicting child porn and 2,415 photos of child porn on the man’s storage devices and computer.
If the man survives 20 years in prison, he will be on supervised release for the rest of his life when he is released.
Federal sex crimes can not only carry severe penalties upon conviction, but they can ruin your reputation, your career and relationships with family and friends. This can even happen long before a conviction is handed down.
In some cases, the person accused of the sex crime may already been portrayed as guilty in the media. Even those accused of horrendous crimes have a right to a fair trial and the right to appeal an unfavorable decision.
Because federal court proceedings are different from state or local courts, it’s important to have an attorney representing you who has experience in federal court. There is no parole from federal prison, which can definitely affect any plea bargain the prosecution might offer. You know you would be doing the full sentence.
Plea bargains are not offered in every case and they are also not the best solution in every case. You should speak with your attorney so you understand the legal options you have and what is in your best interests.
Source: witn.com, “Beulaville man gets 20 years in child porn case,” Jan. 13, 2016