An Ohio man recently appeared in court to be sentenced for charges involving the possession of child pornography. When he addressed the court, he told those present that he believes his use of drugs and alcohol led to the felony charges. This may account for part of the reason the prosecution agreed to a plea agreement with the man back in September.
Another part of the reason could be due to a procedural error regarding the search of the man’s computer. Due to a backlog in the lab, the search warrant for the man’s computer was not timely executed. Search warrants are customarily executed within three days of being issued unless additional time is granted, which was not the case here.
Under the agreement, individual pleaded guilty to several felonies involving child pornography. In exchange for his plea to these charges, he received a two-year prison sentence. After serving six months of that sentence, the Ohio man may be released for good behavior. After he has served his time in prison, the man will be subject to five years of probation. He will also be required to register as a sex offender every 180 days with the Sheriff’s office for 25 years and pay fines of $500.
Felony charges for child pornography can carry severe penalties if a conviction is finally secured. When faced with this possibility, a thorough review of the evidence, police procedural requirements and the man’s state of mind was conducted. That review offered the accused man the opportunity to negotiate a plea agreement that will not require him to spend a significant amount of time in prison.
Source: chillicothegazette.com, Defendant blames alcohol, drug use, Jona Ison, Nov. 8, 2013