What began as an apparent chance encounter between two people on a website has led to accusations that a man pressured an underage girl for nude photos of herself. Sex crimes charges have been filed against the Wisconsin man for allegedly possessing child pornography after investigators claim to have found naked images of the girl on his computer. Charges for the sexual exploitation of a minor have also been entered against the West Allis resident.
A report by the father of a 13-year-old girl in Idaho to local officials led to an interview where the girl alleged that she had met the accused man on a role playing website. The girl claims that the man first touched her avatar while in a private chat room, then asked for nude photos of her. She stated that she initially refused because of her age, but eventually sent several images after being pressured to do so.
After the man allegedly posted the images on Facebook and a website, Idaho officials claim to have found a second victim by searching the man’s Facebook messages. The girl, 15 years old at the time, claims that the man used the same pressure tactics to get her to send him nude images and sexually explicit videos of herself. She alleges that the man threatened to hurt himself if she did not comply to his requests.
A competency exam of the accused Wisconsin man is being completed to ensure that he understand the charges and can aid in his defense. A guilty conviction on state or federal child pornography laws will likely bring fines, jail time, and a life-long sex offender registry requirement upon an offender. With the aid of an experienced and trustworthy defense attorney, sex crimes charges can possibly be reduced or eliminated through a detailed examination of the testimony and evidence to be offered against the client. Whether through plea bargain prior to trial or defending in court, an attorney will do all things reasonably possible to aid in achieving the most favorable outcome for the client.
Source: jsonline.com, “Wisconsin man accused of pressuring teens to send nude photos faces child porn charges“, Ashley Luthern, Feb.8, 2017