One of the most frowned upon crimes in Louisiana is child pornography. Not only can a conviction drastically damage a person’s reputation but it can also cause immediate termination from most jobs and destroy a career path. Being placed on the sex offender registry list is a constant reminder to offenders of their crimes and makes it extremely difficult for them to succeed after they serve their sentence.
Given the harsh consequences of child pornography crimes, imagine being wrongfully accused of child pornography. For one southern police officer, he lost his job, friends and reputation after being falsely accused of online child pornography.
The 25-year-old had it all back in 2011, a good job with the local police force, plenty of friends and a solid reputation. But after facing child pornography charges, that all disappeared. His former co-workers confiscated of all his police uniforms and badges as well as his trust. For two years the 25-year-old spent time in jail and was accused of a heinous crime, which he did not commit. Eventually all charges were dropped due to lack of evidence, but the pain and humiliation continued.
There are many Louisiana residents who face similar charges and are at risk for facing irrevocable damage. Most child pornography charges can easily result in felonies. In Louisiana, like every other state, an individual is innocent until proven guilty. Often times insufficient evidence and false accusations have saved many from a horrible fate.
Any Louisiana resident accused of online child pornography charges can potentially face a myriad of consequences including jail time, reputation damage and job termination. An attorney can help the best possible defense to these charges. Reduced charges and dismissal may result for some offenders.
Source: WLOX, “Dismissed child porn charges still haunt Pascagoula man,” Doug Walker, June 28, 2013