Child Pornography and The Potential Risk Of Having Your Computer Compromised By Outsiders

By RW Goldberg
The issue of child pornography, and the sickening abuse and exploitation that is carried out in order to acquire such material is a tragically common issue in our society, and despite the best efforts of the judiciary and online safety campaigners, there are children who still fall through the cracks and who end up abused, victimized and exploited.

Attorneys in Cambridge have identified another major blow to the war against the abuse of children for profit and "pleasure": that many innocent people are actually finding themselves the hapless victims of a possession of child pornography charge. In many instances, there have been situations where people have visited legitimate and mainstream porn sites, or have downloaded content from an illegal torrent site, only to have a malicious program (commonly known as a virus) infect their computer.

With their computer's security so compromised, this then makes it easier for an illegitimate user with nefarious intentions to then plant child porn on the computer. Some people do this for protection, using their victim's computer as a makeshift "safe" where they can safely deposit their filth thereby keeping it away from their own computer (thereby circumventing a potential criminal liability if their computer was searched).

Others do it in order to frame other people, specifically targeting people who they have a grudge against in order to damage their reputation and ruin their lives.

This may sound like a reject from a B-list TV cop show, but the truth of the matter is that this malicious planting of incriminating material is significantly on the rise to such an extent that the legislator of Cambridge (under strict advice of various lawyers within the community) is seeking to enshrine this defence into law.

Many people have a hard time accepting that a person accused of possession of child pornography is actually the hapless victim of the machinations of some faceless, sinister entity which has attempted to frame them. Whilst the "phantom cyber menace" is on the rise, oftentimes the issue of child pornography has actually been a result of someone much closer to home having access to the same computer.

Therefore, if you are facing a charge of possession of child pornography then your lawyer may also argue that the computer/media on which the content was found was actually accessible to other people in addition to you, the accused. Therefore, it is possible then that it was they who are responsible for the placement of said content on the computer/media.

Facing a possession of child pornography charge is no laughing matter, as not only is it a felony offence, but given the fact that is of a sexual nature involving children, may mean that the accused is unable to be eligible for parole. Therefore, under these provisions then, they would be required to serve the full duration of their sentence. Evidently then, it would be superfluous on my part to point out the severity of the situation,