BRAMPTON 289‑401‑0678
Available 24 hours by phone
How to Win Against Child Pornography ChargesBeing charged with a child pornography-related offence such as possession of child pornography can be devastating for an individual. The arrest and subsequent charge is usually the subject of a press release and limited media coverage. If the individual is married, the stress on the marriage that results is tremendous. My clients are often having suicidal thoughts after an arrest of this type and they come to me for hope at a time when their whole world has been turned upside down. The following cases represent a sampling of the child pornography charges that I have dealt with:2015 Child Pornography ***2 cases*** R. v. N. Child Pornography (2015 Brampton)Background
My client was investigated by the police for possession of child pornography because of some online chats that he engaged in with someone in the United States who may have been underage. This came to the attention of the police and they went to speak to my client, who then spoke to me. Strategy
I was able to intervene on my client's behalf, and persuade the police that he had no intention of speaking to anyone underage, and that if the person was underage he was never aware of it, but he had undertaken on his own to get some counselling regardless. I assured the officer that I would monitor that counselling on an ongoing basis. Decision/Outcome
The police chose not to investigate further and no charges were laid. R. v. G. (2015 Brampton) - Possession, Accessing, and Distribution of Child PornographyBackground
My client was charged with a series of child pornographic offences as a result of accessing certain websites and exchanging information with other people on his computer network. Strategy
My client was a paraplegic who is confined to a wheelchair, and has limited use of his hands and I was able to obtain a report from a well known and respected forensic psychiatrist. The report indicated that given all his physical and mental difficulties, there was virtually no risk of re-offending and certainly no risk of anything more serious happening because he cannot leave his apartment without the assistance of his parents. There was some argument that most of these incidents if not all may in fact have happened before the client turned eighteen. Decision/Outcome
In light of all of these circumstances, the Crown elected to stay the proceedings against my client. ***2010 and prior*** R. V. (Brampton Court, May 2010)Background
Client charged with Possession and Distribution of Child Pornography. He had downloaded over 100 child pornography videos off limewire and by using limewire he allowed the videos to be accessed by others. Strategy
Convince the Crown not to proceed on the Distribution charge and to proceed on the Possession charge summarily rather than by indictment. If the Crown had proceeded by indictment on the distribution charge, the client would have a 1 year mandatory minimum jail sentence. I needed to delay the case to allow the client to fully adjust to the situation he was facing and to begin serious counseling. Once the client had done a great deal of counseling, I had a risk assessment done that came back very positive. I then had character letters prepared and showed everything to the Crown including the assessment and the counseling reports. The Crown then agreed to proceed by summary conviction on the possession charge. The Crown was still seeking 12-15 months in jail but the mandatory minimum was now 14 days instead of 1 year. Decision/Outcome
Client received 90 days on weekends plus probation. This allowed the client to keep his job and continue working and has since received a huge promotion and raise. This was the light I had promised the client would eventually appear the end of a very dark tunnel—there is always hope regardless of how desperate your situation may appear! R. v. O.G. (Brampton 2007)Background
I have included this case separately because the facts are somewhat unique and they emphasize the importance in retaining counsel as soon as possible. Mr. O.G. took his laptop in for service and the technician found child porn on it and called the police. Mr. O.G. was 70 years old at the time and was married with children and grandchildren of his own. He was convinced that a charge of this nature would mean that he would never see his grandchildren again. Strategy
Find a way to convince the police not to charge Mr. O.G. even though it was clearly his laptop and it had been his surfing that resulted in the possession of child pornography. Decision/Outcome
Relying upon the good relationship I maintain with the police, I was able to provide them with medical information and assurances regarding the client’s future conduct that resulted in them agreeing to formally caution the client but not charge him. The family never knew and he has an on-going loving relationship with his children and grandchildren. R. v. J.O. Internet Luring 2007 Milton CourtBackground
Police arrested my client at his workplace and tried to make him look like Paul Bernardo claiming that he had lured these 2 young girls off the internet by promising alcohol in exchange for sexual encounters. Strategy
To show during cross-examination that it had actually been the girls that had actively pursued my client and that in fact he had tried to block them from contacting him. I would also try to show that my client had not asked for sex; one of the girls had simply offered it and he declined. . Decision/Outcome
The client was acquitted of all luring charges. The girls admitted that they pursued him and were using him in the hopes that he would buy them alcohol. They further agreed that he had tried to discourage them from getting the alcohol and they agreed that he had attempted to block them from contacting him. R. v. RO. (Brampton 2002); R. v. WO. (Brampton 2005);
| *Fill out this form for free,(Free case evaluation available for potential clients only) |