20-Year Probation Granted in Felony Child Exploitation Case

Key Details

Case Description

The case was initiated after a report from Microsoft’s "Cyber Tip Line Report" was sent to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office. The report contained information that the client allegedly possessed and controlled sexually explicit material of minors. The client admitted to using a "drag and drop" function to download pornography from Tumblr but denied having any sexual interest in the images involving child exploitation.

Legal Strategy

Given the severity of the charges and the client's admission of downloading the materials, the defense strategy was focused on mitigating the consequences. The main goal was to secure a probation sentence instead of a prison term. This was achieved by negotiating a plea deal with the prosecution, in which four counts were merged into a single charge, leading to a significantly reduced sentence.

Challenges

The primary challenge in this case was the extremely serious nature of the charges. The client's admission to downloading the materials made a full acquittal nearly impossible. Thus, the main challenge for the legal team was to successfully advocate for a mitigated sentence and convince the prosecution to accept a plea agreement that would allow the client to avoid a lengthy prison sentence.