What if My Computer or IP Address Was Used to Look at Child Pornography? | Sex Crimes Attorney, Wichita

Last year alone, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received 16.9 million reports related to suspected child sexual exploitation material online. As rampant as the problem is, it is wise to ask what would happen if your computer or IP address was used to look at child pornography?

“These types of cases are tricky,” said Jonathan W. McConnell, a sex crimes attorney in Wichita, Kansas, who founded the McConnell Law Firm. “The internet has altered every aspect of society, including criminal law.”

Potential Defenses

According to the Wichita sex crimes attorneys of the McConnell Law Firm, there are several potential defenses in such a case. Although the burden of proof would technically be on the State, it often comes down to convincing the jury of your innocence.

It Was a Relative or Friend

While a laptop, cell phone, tablet or computer registered to you may have been used to access illegal content, that does not necessarily mean you were the offender. For example, your underage child may have received nude photos from an underage peer on a phone registered to you.

“Additionally, it is important to remember that every time your Wi-Fi (wireless) network is utilized, that user is switching to your IP address,” said McConnell. This means that sharing access to your Wi-Fi network with anyone, from a neighbor to a house guest, ties their online activity to your IP address.

It Was an Inaccurate IP Address Lead

According to an American Bar Association (ABA) Journal article, the advent of various software, proxy servers and mobile access to the internet has made IP addresses less reliable for law enforcement investigating online crimes. Tor, for example, is software that legally allows people to privately surf the internet by being randomly routed through various computers around the world.

David Robinson and Jan Bultmann, a Seattle couple whose home was searched by police in 2016, learned about inaccurate IP address leads the hard way. The police had been tipped by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an IP address tied to Robinson’s name and physical address had been used to upload and transfer child pornography.

After finding no evidence of child pornography, however, the police left without making an arrest. It was later determined that someone transferring child pornography was randomly routed through Robinson’s IP address.

Have You Been Accused?

If a false accusation related to child pornography has been made against you, we encourage you to contact the McConnell Law Firm as soon as possible. While every case is different and no conclusions should be drawn without first consulting a sex crimes attorney in Wichita about the specifics of your case, it is always in your best interest to have a skilled attorney by your side from the beginning.