East St. Louis Child Pornography Lawyer

Child Pornography Attorney in East St. Louis, IL

Facing an investigation or charges involving child pornography is one of the most serious and life-altering experiences a person can encounter. In Illinois and throughout the federal judicial system, prosecutors treat these cases with the utmost severity, and the stakes for defendants are high. If you are under investigation or have already been charged, it is essential to have an East St. Louis child pornography lawyer who understands how quickly these cases can progress.

About The Law Office of Jessica Koester, LLC

With her office located in Edwardsville near the Madison County Courthouse, The Law Office of Jessica Koester, LLC defends clients throughout Illinois against some of the most serious criminal charges in the state. East St. Louis criminal defense lawyer Jessica Koester is a veteran trial attorney with decades of experience in both state and federal court.

She is known throughout the East St. Louis community for her aggressive advocacy, detailed approach to case analysis, and focus on protecting her clients’ constitutional rights.

East St. Louis Child Pornography Laws

Child pornography charges are some of the most common child-related crimes prosecuted in the United States, according to the United States Sentencing Commission (USSC). A total of 1,375 federal cases reported during Fiscal Year 2024 included offenses where child pornography was used.

Further, 45.8% of those convicted for child pornography offenses in FY 2024 were convicted for simple possession, 43.1% for child pornography trafficking, and 11.1% for receiving child pornography.

Sex crimes are enforced at either the federal or state level. If the digital evidence involved in a sex crime crosses state lines, then it can become a federal case. In these situations, the most often-enforced laws include 18 U.S.C. § 2252 and § 2252A, which involve child pornography or other issues of exploitation, and 18 U.S.C. § 2422 and § 2423, which relate to the use of interstate facilities in the enticement, solicitation, or transport of a minor.

Actions That Can Lead to Charges in Child Pornography Cases

Illinois’ child pornography laws cover numerous situations, some of which may surprise people who did not knowingly seek out illegal content. Some of the most common allegations include:

• The act of downloading or maintaining possession of images showing explicit sexual behavior involving minors
• Sending or sharing files, even inadvertently, through messaging apps or peer-to-peer file-sharing programs
• Saving images that were auto-cached by a phone or web browser
• Accusations of production, including recordings made without the other party’s knowledge
• Transferring files to cloud storage services or onto social media platforms

While each of these allegations can have severe consequences, each also provides opportunities for a unique defense. These cases rely on digital evidence, which is seldom as clear as prosecutors claim.

Why Hire a Child Pornography Lawyer

There are numerous reasons to hire a child pornography lawyer because of harsh penalties, complicated digital evidence collection, and permanent personal outcomes. A skilled attorney can dispute the legality of accessed files along with the forensic tools used to uncover them and challenge the search warrant used at your property, as well as argue for third-party or malware involvement in the incident.

Because the prosecution must prove each element of the charge beyond a reasonable doubt, a child pornography attorney can fight to ensure that your constitutional rights are protected at every stage of the legal process.

Contact Us Today

If you are facing child pornography charges, The Law Office of Jessica Koester, LLC can help you right away. Contact us today to begin defending your future.