Internet & Computer Crimes Defense Attorney in Alexandria, Virginia

What experience do you have handling cyber crimes or internet sex crime cases?

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So when you say cyber crimes I’m taking

that to mean possession of child

pornography and the crime which is

referred to as Internet solicitation or

Internet enticement um internet

enticement is roughly means when an

adult is communicating with a minor or a

police officer pretending to be a minor

about sex on the internet these kind of

cases are all over the place there’s so

many of them the um enforcement of it is

a major priority especially in certain

places so they’re doing sting operations

all the time to try to bring these cases

in there’s an extensive network of

private and public organizations to find

the IP addresses where people are

accessing child pornography and

prosecute them so I have done many many

of them done them for quite a few years

and the reason for that is there’s just

so many of them out there for one thing

but a lot of times in those kind of

cases the client is pretty sympathetic

not contrary to popular opinion in the

sense that a lot of people that get

insens snared in those sting operations

or who have their computer loaded with

this unlawful pornography suffers from

some kind of a personal deficit such as

a developmental disability or you know

at the very least some kind of anxiety

that makes it so that they’re they’d

have a diminished social life this kind

of thing it’s very common it is so well

known that autistic people are more

likely to

be charged with these kind of things or

engage in this kind of behavior that the

Virginia legislature made a law in

2021 specifically to help people with

Autism or a developmental disability

have a chance to get a deferred

disposition

on these kind of cases so this is

getting more and more well known but a

big one big thing about these cases too

is the penalties are are very very high

you know so for internet solicitation

there are mandatory minimums that um

that apply for child pornography there

are also mandatory minimums for certain

kinds of charges but the more images you

have the higher the penalty and most

people that have any it’s a lot because

they’re downloading it from websites or

whatever and so you know just one way to

illustrate that I could say for example

is that in Virginia I’m pretty sure this

is true in any state if an 20-year-old

were to have a relationship with a

15-year-old consensual that would be a

misdemeanor but to solicit that

relationship on the internet would be a

felony that carries lifetime sex

registration and probably a prison

sentence even though it never happened

and it was all virtual so that’s the

enforcement power that has been placed

upon these internet

crimes to the extent that they

exceed what would have happened if it

were real

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Alexandria, VA criminal defense attorney Chris Leibig talks about the experience he has handling cyber crimes or internet sex crime cases. He explains that when discussing cybercrimes, he is referring primarily to offenses such as possession of child pornography and internet-based solicitation, also known as internet enticement. Internet enticement generally involves an adult communicating online with a minor—or someone posing as a minor, often law enforcement—about sexual activity.

He notes that these cases are widespread and a significant enforcement priority. Law enforcement agencies conduct regular sting operations, supported by an extensive network of public and private organizations that track IP addresses and investigate access to unlawful material. He has handled many such cases over the years, reflecting both their prevalence and the seriousness with which they are prosecuted.

He observes that, contrary to popular perception, many clients in these cases may elicit some degree of sympathy. Individuals caught in sting operations or found in possession of illicit material often struggle with personal challenges, such as developmental disabilities, autism, or social anxiety, which can affect their judgment and social behavior. Recognizing this, the Virginia legislature enacted a law in 2021 allowing individuals with autism or certain developmental disabilities to seek deferred disposition in these cases.

He emphasizes that penalties for cybercrimes of this nature are severe. Internet solicitation carries mandatory minimum sentences, and possession of child pornography incurs escalating penalties based on the number of images involved. Even seemingly minor or virtual offenses can result in harsh consequences. For example, in Virginia, a consensual relationship between a 20-year-old and a 15-year-old would generally constitute a misdemeanor, but soliciting such a relationship online is a felony, potentially resulting in a prison sentence and lifetime sex offender registration, even if no physical contact occurs.

He underscores that the enforcement framework for these crimes is intentionally stringent, reflecting the serious societal concerns surrounding online sexual exploitation, and highlighting the need for careful legal advocacy in these complex cases.

Internet & Computer Crimes Defense Attorney in Alexandria, Virginia

What experience do you have handling cyber crimes or internet sex crime cases?

Contact Christopher Leibig

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