Port St. Lucie Trucker Accused of Possessing Child Porn on his Phone

Whittel & Melton, LLC 866-608-5529 – Florida Sex Crimes Attorneys

A 57-year-old Port St. Lucie truck driver was charged with felony possession of or promotion of certain images of child pornography after a cellphone store employee allegedly found child pornography on his phone.

The store manager apparently called police to the Verizon Wireless store Monday after allegedly finding images of a young girl engaging in sex acts with a man.

Police claim the man seen in the alleged pictures is not the man that was arrested.

The store employee apparently stumbled upon the alleged images while transferring pictures from the man’s old phone to a new one.

The man allegedly told police he received the image from a person he met on an Internet chat site and that he had a laptop computer with links to sites of children in nude poses.

As of Tuesday the man was being held at the St. Lucie County Jail with bail set at $50,000.

Pornography crimes involving children, such as the possession, distribution or promotion of child porn are actively pursued by state and federal law enforcement. Likewise, these crimes are aggressively prosecuted. Many crimes that involve child porn are Internet offenses that involve peer-to-peer file sharing and downloading. Unfortunately, Internet offenses are usually charged as felonies that carry minimum mandatory prison sentences and the label of a registered sex offender for the duration of your life.

Under Florida state laws, downloading and viewing child pornography is a third degree felony. These charges can be increased to a second degree felony when these images are shared with others. Producing or promoting child porn can result in first degree felony charges carrying a 5 to 13 year prison term. With charges as serious as these, it is absolutely critical to contact a Florida Sex Crimes Attorney as soon as possible. Immediate representation is needed to ensure that your rights are protected.

It is important to understand that if you bring a computer or cell phone into a shop for repairs or upgrades, technicians are required by law to report any suspected child pornography found. If investigators start to question you, do not answer their questions. Be polite in your decline to answer their questions and contact the Florida Sex Crimes Attorneys at Whittel & Melton right away. Early intervention may help you avoid arrest and prosecution.

If you or a loved one has been accused of child pornography in the state of Florida, contact the Florida Sex Crimes Attorneys at Whittel & Melton online or reach us statewide and toll-free at 866-608-5529.