Help, Anybody US Law Enforcement or a Lawyer?

[jerryanon]

Hi all. Im pretty stressed right now.

 

Last night (Jan 11 late night till Jan 12 noon), I was browsing through online porn (no laughs), and made 2 purchases (of artist illustrations). I opened them later on and discovered that I'd unintentionally stumbled upon child pornography. I immediately deleted all files and zips from my device, and even went as far as to deactivate my account on the website i'd used to purchase them (it was by no means a “shady dark web off-the-grid” site).

 

I'd like to report it, but whats deterring me from doing so is the fact that I used my credit card for the purchase, and since i hear that even possession of child pornography is punishable by 10 years + the infamous “child molester” title regardless of intent, if law enforcement decides to look into who purchased from said content creator, my name and bank account would be on the list. At this point I dont care about the 50 bucks i'd wasted, I just dont want even a slight chance of this coming up and destroying me in the future (only 18 right now). It seems the only way to do so is to be the one who actively reports it, but that puts me in the line of fire at the same time... am I fked? what should i do?

 

- Anon

[Canada EH]

Even if you delete them, they are still on your pc.

 

You need to dial 911 and report it. You need to cover your ass. This is no laughing matter. The 911 operator will get in touch with the department in charge of that category of despicable crime. Those type of criminals, are the lowest of the low. Subway spokesperson is doing 100+ yrs for having those despicable pictures on his pc. I am sure the Subway spokesperson is someones bitch inside the penal system.

 

You next have to worry about your credit card. Cut it up, and get a new card, with a new number on it.

 

You also need to buy a new hard drive, and install a fresh copy of the o/s and start installing everything you need from scratch. Dont touch any storage you had. Take it out, and burn it. I am serious.

[jerryanon]

6 minutes ago, Canada EH said:

Even if you delete them, they are still on your pc.

 

You need to dial 911 and report it. You need to cover your ass. This is no laughing matter. The 911 operator will get in touch with the department in charge of that category of despicable crime. Those type of criminals, are the lowest of the low.

 

You also need to buy a new hard drive, and install a fresh copy of the o/s and start installing everything you need from scratch. Dont touch any storage you had. Take it out, and burn it.

As far as im concerned, the burning of evidence seems like a bandaid on a broken bone, since my name is written right on my bank account which was used to make the purchase. If the people in charge do decide to go after whoever purchased, I'm screwed anyways. Also it appears the creator is chinese, so i think the best they can do is freeze his account and take down all his stuff.. and then its onto us buyers?

[Canada EH]

2 minutes ago, jerryanon said:

and then its onto [you the] buyer?

Yes, onto the buyers!

Turn yourself in and explain it all, be honest. It might have been a sting operation as well.

[jerryanon]

Just now, Canada EH said:

Yes, onto the buyers!

already got a new card and number, the transactions are still there

[Canada EH]

Just now, jerryanon said:

already got a new card and number, the transactions are still there

You need to cancel the credit card.

[Spotty]

Don't take any advice from people on online forums. Seek professional legal counsel (hire a lawyer), preferably from someone who specialises in this type of Law. Your legal representation will be able to assist you through any necessary steps you need to take.

[Arika]

Quote

Only possession of child pornography would be criminal. It requires that you had an intent to possess child pornography. That means the government must prove that you had the intent to possess the image(s) and that you had reason to know of its true content and character.

Quote

Additionally, files may also be downloaded blindly without knowing specifically about their content. For example, images may be downloaded by clicking on a link without first reviewing the content of the image being downloaded. This may occur with links found in newsgroups or other internet settings. Images can also be downloaded in bulk where each image is not reviewed before the download. Two simple examples may be when a person downloads multiple images associated with a zip file or by highlighting a series of links for download from file sharing programs. Also, as hacking attacks become more prolific, someone else may take control of your computer through a “backdoor” and use it to find, download, and view child pornography without your knowledge, either to frame you or to hide their own identity.

https://www.hg.org/legal-articles/legal-considerations-for-child-pornography-cases-31056

 

 

you would be best to call a lawyer or your local police station and ask the question anonymously, that you accidentally found child porn in a bulk of images you bought from an artist and what you should do. you're more likely to be safer reporting it than trying to hide it, because if someone else reports it, they get the purchase information and your name shows up, you're going to have a MUCH harder time trying to prove your innocence than if you reported it

 

[Canada EH]

I am sure the authorities are reading this forum right now.

[Atmos]

In most states in the us illustrated porn of minors is not illegal. It's only illegal in particularly conservative states. 

 

There's no victim, thus not a crime in most jurisdictions

[Canada EH]

1 minute ago, Atmos said:

There's no victim

Yes there is a victim, oh you mean artistic. Yeah I dunno. You'd need to read the laws for each state. Even if it was drawing/art its still disgusting, and you'd gotta wonder what else they have on their pc.

[Laftpig]

Don’t fret a one time thing. They don’t have the resources to follow up on everyone who accidentally comes across this type material. Your biggest mistake would be to contact law enforcement. Lesson learn. Move on. 

[Canada EH]

Just now, Laftpig said:

Your biggest mistake would be to contact law enforcement.

Thats exactly what the O.P. should do, this type of activity needs to be prosecuted, the website owner needs to be in jail, in the penal system ASAP.

[jerryanon]

well this post is just making me more nervous...

[Andreas Lilja]

56 minutes ago, Canada EH said:

Thats exactly what the O.P. should do, this type of activity needs to be prosecuted, the website owner needs to be in jail, in the penal system ASAP.

Jail for illustrated porn?

 

 

[jerryanon]

1 minute ago, Raskolnikov said:

Jail for illustrated porn?

 

 

thats illustrated pornography of girls clearly under age tho,,,

[Andreas Lilja]

3 minutes ago, jerryanon said:

thats illustrated pornography of girls clearly under age tho,,,

Yeah I get this; but illustrated is illustrated. As mentioned in an earlier post there's no victim.

 

Might as well put people in jail for illustrated violence.

[jerryanon]

Quote

United States[edit]

Main article: Child pornography laws in the United States

The legal treatment of simulated child pornography in the United States requires an understanding of the components of that phrase: pornography, child, and simulated. United States law treats these as separate concepts.

In the United States, pornography is considered a form of personal expression, and thus governed by the First Amendment to the Constitution. Pornography is generally protected speech, unless it is obscene, as the Supreme Court of the United States held in 1973 in Miller v. California.

In 2002, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition that the Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1996 (CPPA) was facially invalid in prohibiting virtual or cartoon child pornography. The basis for the ruling was that the CPPA made unlawful some forms of protected First Amendment speech, banning depictions of sex between children even if not obscene and not involving real child victims. Under New York v. Ferber, if the depiction is of real child abuse or a real child victim, as a result of photographing a live performance, for instance, then it is not protected speech. Under Miller v. California, obscene speech is likewise excluded from First Amendment protection. The CPPA made all virtual child sex depictions illegal without regard to whether the speech was protected or not, so that part of the statute was struck down as facially invalid.

The above is from wikipedia. Does this really mean that illustrated pornography involving children is legal...??

[Arika]

27 minutes ago, jerryanon said:

The above is from wikipedia. Does this really mean that illustrated pornography involving children is legal...??

depends on the state..

[Ja Krispie]

1 hour ago, Spotty said:

Don't take any advice from people on online forums. Seek professional legal counsel (hire a lawyer), preferably from someone who specialises in this type of Law. Your legal representation will be able to assist you through any necessary steps you need to take.

Seriously this is the ONLY advice on here you should be following.

[Canada EH]

Wikipedia is not something to trust.

 

Its is really common sense.

 

Even art can be considered porn.

[iLostMyXbox21]

I don’t get what the big deal is

 

OP, go to your local police station, explain what happened, and give them the seller’s info you bought it from. 

 

If it is illegal where you live, it can make things way worse if you don’t fess up. Don’t listen to the people saying to hide it, just go to your PD and report it, for all you know, the seller could have kids tied up in his basement for him to draw. 

[Tech_Dreamer]

is he talking about one of those anime/manga things?  im confused.

[TheKDub]

3 minutes ago, Tech_Dreamer said:

is he talking about one of those anime/manga things?  im confused.

Based on it being a "chinese creator" and "artist illustrations", I'd imagine it was manga or anime characters, some of which were underage.

[Canada EH]

Very sickening

 

Do report it, those people need to be inprisoned in the penal system ASAP.