7,000 Years Behind Bars: Child Porn Arrest Carries Big Potential Penalties

A man recently arrested in the Sunshine State on a wide range of child pornography and other charges is looking at a lot of time behind bars if convicted.

Mark Harvey was arrested in February and initially charged with two counts of using a computer to solicit a minor and four child pornography offenses. The list of charges grew dramatically however, after cops searched his home in Lake Placid.

Highland County police officers say they found a treasure trove of child porn during the search. That includes hundreds of illicit photos on Harvey’s cellphone, according to the officers.

Harvey was hit with another 300 sex offenses, including several related to possessing and transmitting child pornography and some charges that Harvey exposed himself in a lewd way and transmitted the photos to minors. The maximum penalty on all of those charges would have Harvey serving 7,000 years behind bars, according to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution.

Harvey is unlikely to be hit with anything near 7,000 years in prison and, obviously, will not live to serve out that full time. But the case is another reminder that Florida police officers that child pornography and other sex crimes very seriously. They often go after alleged sex offenders with a full slate of charges and seek maximum criminal penalties.

Child pornography cases can raise a number of difficult legal and factual questions. That is why it is vital for anyone charged with these crimes to seek the counsel of a seasoned Florida child pornography lawyer.

It is important to understand that the burden is at all times on prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you committed the specific crime with which you have been charged. That includes intent, or that you knowingly possessed the illicit material.

Other common questions in these cases include the actual age of the person depicted in the pornographic material, as well as potential entrapment. Florida law provides a full defense for entrapment, which happens when a police officer or informant tries to induce someone into committing a crime in certain situations.

If you or a loved one has been charged with or is suspected of a child pornography or other sex crime in Florida, it is important to have an experienced attorney in your corner.

At Whittel & Melton our Florida sex crime attorneys represent clients throughout the Sunshine State who have been charged with a wide variety of offenses, including child pornography, sexual assault, rape, internet solicitation and offenses involving victims who are minors. We work tirelessly to fight these charges head on in order to get charges dropped or reduced whenever possible.

Our firm has offices throughout the state, including in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, and Pensacola. Contact us online or call 866-608-5529 for a free evaluation with a Florida child pornography lawyer.