State v. Mr. G (DMC No. 18256) – (6 Counts) Felony Sexual Exploitation of a Minor/Child Pornography (Dangerous Crimes Against Children) – Reduced to Attempt and Mitigated Minimum Sentence Imposed (Only 5 Years of DOC) – Maricopa County Superior Court (Case No. CR20XX-XXXXX1)
Mr. G was an 18-year-old male with a low IQ who had been using the group texting application Discord. At some point, he received images of Child Pornography which he then placed onto Snapchat. The service provider Snapchat identified these images and notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and they then notified the Scottsdale Police Department. The Scottsdale Police Department then obtained a Search Warrant, and smashed open the door of Mr. G’s home to execute their search.
While they were questioning Mr. G, he admitted that he had in fact had downloaded videos of Child Pornography onto the Snapchat app. He denied any hands-on contact with any children. After he was Booked into Jail, his family contacted DM Cantor and secured our services.
Due to Mr. G’s admissions, and the evidence gathered against him, we began doing immediate Mitigation. We had him conduct a Neuropsychological Evaluation, which showed his full scale IQ of only 79 and being “borderline intellectual functioning range deficient”. He was in the 8th percentage of the population. This analysis also showed that he had noteworthy difficulties in regard to problem solving and abstract reasoning. Lastly, the Doctor stated that Mr. G “likely did not possess the immediate capacity to recognize that the items he was viewing were particularly harmful, and that he may have been engaging in illegal activity”.
Next, we had him do a Psychosexual Risk Evaluation in which he was given a Polygraph and “passed” regarding not touching any children. This Evaluation also found that he was “not a risk to reoffend.” Based on all of this, along with his lack of criminal history and large family support, we were able to negotiate a Plea Offer to Attempt, with a range of 5 to 10 Years in Prison. At the sentencing, we conducted a Mitigation Hearing and were able to have the Judge impose the lowest possible Sentence of 5 years in Prison. If Mr. G were to have gone to Jury Trial and been Convicted of all 6 counts, he would have been facing a Minimum of 60 Years in Prison, and a Maximum of 144 Years in Prison (day for day).
