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Clicking the wrong link can be disaster says Fairfax criminal lawyer

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Clicking the wrong link can be disaster says Fairfax criminal lawyer - Image of computer monitor

Clicking the wrong link can be disaster says Fairfax criminal lawyer

Clicking an uncertain Internet link can be like Russian roulette, warns Fairfax criminal lawyer

Clicking an Internet link from a questionable source can be a risky proposition. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that images run rampant online that can be prosecuted and convicted as child pornography, obscenity, or both. Moreover, visiting even one website with such content can now be sufficient in the Fourth Circuit for issuing a search warrant for the entire home connected to the Internet Protocol / IP address for that one click. U.S. v. Bosyk, ___ F.3rd ___ (Aug. 1, 2019)

Fairfax criminal lawyer on the importance of limiting others’ access to your IP address

Every Internet account has a unique IP address. Yes, multiple household members typically share that IP address, leaving one at risk if other users of that same IP address are clicking child pornography or obscenity with that address. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I know that at least a computer user can reduce risks from non-household members clicking with their IP address for unlawful purposes, by using private Wifi passwords, being cautious about revealing those passwords, and keeping their devices sufficiently secure with strong passwords.

Clicking even one child pornography or obscene image risks a search warrant

Bosyk approves a home search warrant based on clicking just one link to a website that offered and actually provided child pornography images. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I find notable that Bosyk is a split decision from a court that repeatedly prefers reaching unanimity in criminal case decisions. With the serious Fourth Amendment-damaging implications of Bosyk, and the role already played by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) with its amicus / friend of the court brief in Bosyk, I foresee a good chance that this case will proceed to the full Fourth Circuit for en banc consideration.

Fairfax criminal lawyer Jonathan L. Katz pursues your best defense against felony, misdemeanor, DUI and sex prosecutions. To discuss your case with Jon Katz, please call his staff at 703-383-1100 to schedule a confidential consultation. 

1 Comments

  1. Raven Blackbane on August 21, 2019 at 7:17 am

    How does one know what a Web Page might contain prior to the click? And with so much “spoofing” one could see a normal URL for legal contents, CLICK, now a page full of unexpected illegal nudes. This is no more different than pulling into a gas station, open the door to the public bathroom only to see pounds of cocaine; next thing you known, your car is being ripped to shreds. at the gas pump because a cop saw you open the door to the public bathroom.