In Manassas, a high school teacher that was accused of sexually abusing a former student is now facing charges for child pornography.  Authorities say that 50 year old Kevin Garfield Ricks has been charged with transporting and possessing child pornography.

Ricks worked as a teacher at a high school in Manassas between September 2007 and February 2010, when he was arrested.  He was accused of having sexual relations with a 16 year old student prior to his arrest.

After his arrest, authorities searched his laptop and found pornographic images of children.   Ricks is currently being held at the Prince William County Adult Detention Center and will face at a sentence of five to 30 years if he is convicted.

Charged with transporting or possessing child pornography in L.A.?  If so, contact Okabe & Haushalter and arrange to speak with a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney.  We have experience handling all types of sex crime cases, including cases that involve child pornography.

This week, the Boston Globe announced that federal investigators "have identified several dozen Pentagon officials and contractors with high-level security clearances who allegedly purchased and downloaded child pornography, including an undisclosed number who used their government computers to obtain the illegal material."

Numerous employees were under investigation for child pornography.  Detectives investigated workers from the National Security Agency, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office.  Employees that work in these divisions deal with some of the most sensitive defense and intelligence work for the government. 

The Boston Globe said that many of the cases are numerous years old and some remain open at this time.  The newspaper wrote, "The fact that offenders include people with access to government secrets puts national security agencies 'at risk of blackmail, bribery, and threats, especially since these individuals typically have access to military installations,' according to one report by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service from late 2009."

The DCIS report was publicly released by the Department of Defense inspector general's office.

If you have been charged with child pornography, know that you are truly in for the fight of your life.  For this reason, it is imperative that you hire a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer who has vast experience handling sex crime cases.  Contact Okabe & Haushalter today!

This week, a second man stands accused of using social networking sites to share child pornography in western Pennsylvania. The man, 21 year old Ryan Chiles, pled guilty to exploiting children.

Chiles is of Hampton, Virginia and he entered his plea on Wednesday in federal court.  On Tuesday, 56 year old Stephen Sims pleaded guilty in the case.  He is from Palm Springs, California.

According to officials, both men will be sentenced in February.  They face a minimum of 20 years and a maximum of life imprisonment for their offenses.

Prior to being caught, the two and others distributed thousands of explicit images and videos of children on a social networking site.  The defendants were part of a group that exchanged such material online.

Have you been charged with child pornography in Los Angeles?  If so, your best option is to consult with a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer who has handled numerous other sex crime cases. Contact our law office today to get the legal advice and representation you deserve!

This week in Long Beach, California, a jury decided to convict a man that stood accused of repeatedly raping his niece and her two friends.  The girls were between the ages of 14 and 16 when the rape took place.

The jury presiding over the case took 90 minutes to convict the defendant, Carlos Aguirre Jr.  He was charged with 12 felony counts which included rape, possession of drugs for sale and possession of child pornography.  Now, he will face a life sentence for his crimes.

According to authorities, Aguirre (25) raped the girls between 2004 and 2006.  However, it is reported that he had started molesting his niece when she was only 5 years old.  Investigators say that they found pornographic images on Aguirre's computer, including an 18 minute video that shows the victim being raped by Aguirre and a 12 year old boy.

Have you been charged with sex crimes in Los Angeles?  If so, now is the time to contact Okabe & Haushalter and arrange a time to speak with a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa - it is reported that a man by the name of Arthur Neal has been sentenced with 30 years of jail time for producing child pornography.

Back in January, 47 year old Neal pled guilty to his sex crime charges.  This week, he was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Linda Reade.

Neal was accused of producing pornography with a girl he babysat for multiple years.  He was sentenced to a maximum sentence based on his sadistic and masochistic conduct, his criminal history and the fact that the abuse was ongoing also enhanced his sentence.

Reade said that Neal poses a "significant danger to children".  At this time, the victim is in a residential treatment program.  She called the court to give a victim's impact statement and said that she had resorted to using drugs because she cannot cope with the sexual abuse she had to go through due to Neal.

If you are in need of sex crimes defense in Los Angeles, now is the time to contact Okabe & Haushalter and discuss your offense with a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney.

In Fort Worth, a 56 year old man by the name of Jack Zimmerman has pled guilty to charges of luring a minor.  Police say that Zimmerman lured a 14 year old girl into a van and then engaged in sex acts with her.  He also photographed and filmed the sexual activities.

This week, Zimmerman pled guilty to one count of enticing a minor and one count of production of child pornography. 

According to documents filed with the court, Zimmerman girl met the girl online in an internet chat room.  He fraudulently poses as an 18 year old from Dallas.  After Zimmerman's arrest in December of 2009, police discovered illicit images on his digital camera.

Prosecutors say that Zimmerman faces a 30 year prison sentence if the court agrees to accept his plea bargain.  Sentencing has been scheduled for October 2010.

Have you been charged with a serious sex crime?  If you answered "yes", do not waste any time.  Contact Okabe & Haushalter to schedule a consultation with a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer from our team.

On Thursday, federal authorities were looking for victims they believe may have been molested by a former Fort Irwin Army soldier.  The soldier, 23 year old Joseph Scott Szymanski, was charged with possessing child pornography and also illegal sexual contact with children.

In June, police arrested Szymanski in Fairbanks, Alaska. Prior to his arrest, Szymanski was charged in federal court in Riverside County with possessions illicit photographic images of several children.  Police say that the children were babysat by Szymanski while he lived in Fort Irwin.

The FBI said that they found a memory card that contained sexual images of underage boys engaged in sex acts.  They were able to link Szymanski to the images by the furniture and other items displayed in the photos.

If you have been charged with sex crimes involving children, it is imperative that you hire a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer immediately.  Contact the Okabe & Haushalter to speak with a defense attorney.

Tagged.com is being watched by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office.  Cuomo is the Attorney General in New York and he is taking aim at the social networking set because it had sexually explicit pictures of young children. 

According to Attorney Cuomo, the site ignored its own policies by allowing the pornographic images to be viewed by users.  He also says that the site received complaints about the child pornography, but did not rectify the situation.  Attorney Cuomo sent a letter to Tagged.com and requested that it take immediate action within five days or face civil action. 

Cuomo told reporters, "My message to Tagged.com is: Clean up your act or we will see you in court immediately."

In response, the site said that it allows users to flag offensive material, which is then removed by the site's staff.  Tagged.com caters primarily to teenagers.  However, the Attorney General's office created fictitious accounts and found that despite complaints, the site failed to remove the images.

A lawyer representing the social network said that it would work with investigators.

If you have been charged with a serious sex crime,, like child pornography, now is the time to speak with a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney from Okabe & Haushalter.  Contact us now!

Last month, photos appear on the internet that showed actress Emma Watson nude.  The photos were in fact doctored and now the man who created the photos has been charged with child pornography.  The charges were brought against the man, 39 year old John Cavanaugh, because he superimposed an image of the Watson's head on top of an underage girl.

Cavanaugh has pled guilty to 19 counts of illegally creating an indecent image of a child.  Police say that the photos were found on Cavanaugh's computer after an eviction attempt.  The judge presiding over Cavanaugh's case said, "Miss Watson will be very distressed to know what you have been doing."

Watson is most infamously known for her role as Hermoine Granger in the hit Harry Potter series.  She is 20 years of age.

If you have been charged with a sex crime such as child pornography, now is the time to speak with a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney at Okabe & Haushalter.  Contact our firm now!

In Los Angeles, news sources report that a man from El Monte who had applied for a position with the California Highway Patrol has pled guilty to child pornography charges.  The man, 30 year old Christian Client Hernandez, stated on his CHP employment application that he had viewed child pornography.

Hernandez entered his plea with the federal court on Thursday.  He is currently facing up to 30 years of prison and is expected to receive sentencing on November 1, 2010.

In October 2008, Hernandez applied with the CHP to become an officer.  After viewing his application, the FBI inspected his computer and found child pornography, including explicit images of a 5 year old girl.  When entering his plea, Hernandez said that he took the illicit photos of the young girl, who was sexually abused. 

Hernandez is also facing charges of molestation.

If you have been charged with sex crimes, contact Okabe & Haushalter to arrange to speak with a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer.

This past Monday, a man in the state of Indiana who was charged with child pornography was sentenced to 38 years imprisonment.  The man, 48 year old Dale Russell, was charged with this serious sex crime after he conducted "modeling sessions" with minors whose images were then placed on websites.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Russell was convicted after a six year long investigation.  Numerous law enforcement agencies throughout the state, and even abroad, worked together to build a case against Russell.

During the investigation, Russell fled to Mexico from 2007 to 2009.  He was expelled from the country and returned to the United States, where he was placed under arrest in California.

Police say that Russell had produced child pornography on four separate occasions with two female victims.  The images he produced were found on the computer of another sex crime offender in Canada.  Aside from his sentence, Russell has been forbidden from having contact with minors once he is released from prison.

If you have been charged with a serious sex crime, now is the time to speak with a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney at Okabe & Haushalter.  Contact us today to learn more about possible defenses and your rights.

Last month, the manager of a bowling alley in Arizona pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography and engaging in indecent acts with a minor.

After entering his plea, 36-year-old William O’Rourke was handcuffed and taken into custody. He is scheduled to be sentenced for his crimes on March 26 in Pima County Superior Court before Judge Howard Fell.

O’Rourke faces between 10 and 24 years in prison just for the child pornography charge. He is likely to face additional years in prison for the indecent sexual activity with a 12-year-old boy. But even if O’Rourke is on his best behavior, the judge told him that prison is 100% certain, meaning it is unlikely he’ll be able to get any time off for good behavior.

As you can see, judges take child pornography charges extremely seriously. If you have been accused of possessing child pornography in Los Angeles or South Bay, nothing is more important than speaking with a knowledgeable criminal defense lawyer right away. At Okabe & Haushalter, we devote a large portion of our practice to child pornography and sex crimes defense, and have the experience, knowledge and resources to provide anyone facing these types of charges with the effective representation they need during this unsettling time.

To learn more about our criminal defense, please do not hesitate to contact a Los Angeles child pornography defense attorney at our office today!

An Arizona man could spend the rest of his life in prison following a conviction for 11 counts of child pornography.

John Hartman is accused of possessing child pornography images on both his cell phone and his home computer. He was arrested in November 2007 after another man alerted police after finding Hartman’s cell phone. The police were able to track Hartman down and, upon searching his home computer, found more child pornography images there.

Hartman was convicted of all 11 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Because he faces 10 to 24 years in state prison for each count, he could be sentenced to 110 years in prison if he is ordered to serve out his sentences consecutively. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for March.

Hartman’s attorney claims that someone stole her client’s phone and downloaded the pornographic images without her client’s knowledge.

Three Washington state teenagers are facing criminal charges for “sexting,” the crime of sending, receiving, or disseminating sexually suggestive images via text message or email. If convicted of the charges, the middle school-age teenagers could be ordered to register as sex offenders for life.

The three teens were charged for sexting a nude photo a classmate around their middle school. The victim allegedly took the nude photo of herself and emailed it to her boyfriend. When she and the boyfriend broke up he supposedly texted the photo to other students.

It’s important for all teenagers and their parents to realize that sexting charges are incredibly serious. Disseminating nude images of a person under the age of 18 is considered distribution of child pornography, even if the person disseminating the images is a minor themselves. And with child pornography charges comes mandatory sentencing guidelines, which include imprisonment and mandatory registration as a sex offender.

If your son or daughter has been accused of sexting, it’s important to consult an attorney who has experience in this new area of criminal law. At Okabe & Haushalter, we focus a large majority of our practice on sex crimes defense, and have the experience, skills, and resources to provide your child with the effective and aggressive defense he or she needs. If you’re interested in scheduling a consultation with a  Los Angeles child pornography defense lawyer to discuss your child’s sexting charges,  contact Okabe & Haushalter today at (310) 543-7703.

The charges against a Catholic priest suspected of operating an Internet child pornography ring have been dropped due to lack of evidence.

The Rev. Rafael Muñiz Lopez of St. Peter Apostle Church in Xalapa, Mexico was released from a Mexico City jail and all charges were dropped due to insufficient evidence that the priest engaged in organized crime.

Muñiz, along with his brother and five other suspects, were arrested last April after an investigation turned up an email containing several images of sex acts involving minors. In the email was a link to a web page that, according to the prosecution, contained “scenes of explicit sex between adults and girls and boys from 0 to 10 years old.”

The police were able to track the link to Luis Alejandro Vergara. After searching his Mexico City home, investigators found large quantities of child pornography. Information on his computer led to the arrest of the six other suspects, including Rev. Muñiz.

The Rev. Muñiz and his brother are the only two suspects to have been released. Vergara confessed to rape and sexual assault, and the other four men remain in police custody.

Accused of Child Pornography in Los Angeles or South Bay?

If you have been accused or arrested for child pornography it is absolutely crucial that you speak with an attorney at Okabe & Haushalter right away. As you can imagine child pornography charges can lead to numerous penalties, including large fines, restitution to the victims, probation, incarceration in state prison, and lifetime registration as a sex offender once you’re released from prison. In addition, with a child pornography conviction also comes a stigma that can be incredibly damaging to your reputation and future. When faced with these charges, nothing is more important than hiring a skilled Los Angeles child pornography defense attorney. At Okabe & Haushalter, we have considerable experience in this area of criminal law, and would be happy to meet with you to discuss your charges and determine what defense strategies can be used to help you achieve the best possible case result.

To learn more, please contact Okabe & Haushalter today at (310) 543-7708!