In general, the United States is a country that values free speech and distribution of information. Even questionable materials such as pornography are covered under the protection of the First Amendment. Child pornography, however, is not protected by these seminal laws, largely because the American people want to protect children from being victimized by sex crimes.
A Canton man is facing 20 counts of child pornography possession after a search warrant was executed in his home earlier this month. Authorities report finding several child pornography images on the man's 125-gigabyte hard drive. The man has already admitted that he owns the computer, and he also told a judge in the case that no one else had used the hard drive. The suspect in the case further confessed to searching for and downloading child pornography, which he said causes him to become aroused.
Each count in the case is considered a class 2 felony that can be punished by up to seven years of prison time, according to prosecutors. The law requires convicts to serve their sentences consecutively rather than concurrently. If convicted on all 20 counts, the man could face as long as 140 years' prison time, along with fines totaling $2,000,000.
Authorities report that they are still looking for evidence that could link the man to distribution or file-sharing in connection with the case. The man has so far not been accused of distributing the pornographic images, though additional charges could be issued based on future findings. Child pornography distribution carries significantly higher penalties than simply possessing the images.
The 23-year-old suspect was arrested because of a widespread crackdown on child pornography. He was apprehended because of his connection to the state's most active distributors of child porn.
It is not yet clear whether the man plans to plead guilty in the case, though his reported admonitions could make other courses of action more difficult. The man essentially admitted to exclusive ownership of the pornographic material, which could eliminate his ability to enter a not-guilty plea.
Source: The Canton Daily Ledger, "Canton man faces 20 counts of child porn," John Froehling, Jan. 21, 2013.
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