Child Abuse Laws: Mother Allegedly Recorded Sex Acts With Children, Sold Online

In a case of child pornography in Arizona, Keri Ann Harwood, a 28-year-old mother, was arrested Sunday for molesting her two young children, filming the abuse, and selling the footage on the internet.

"She faces multiple felony counts of sexual exploitation and molestation of a child. Videos show Ms. Harwood involved in sex acts with her children ages six and three," the press release from Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) read.

The press release also stated how officials were informed about Harwood through a tip from one of her friends who had used Harwood's email account to log in to play Pokémon Go. While playing the game, the friend discovered two child porn videos and PayPal transactions on Harwood's account.

During interrogation, Harwood told detectives she recorded the sexual acts for a man whom she met on the social networking website Tumblr. They engaged in "voyeurism for money via Snapchat." Harwood, who was in desperate need for money, told officials that the man offered to pay her hundreds of dollars if she would livestream sexual acts with her children.

Harwood remains in jail in lieu of a $150,000 bond. The reports have not said which sections of the law she was charged under.

Child pornography is a serious crime under Arizona law. Reports say a defendant was sentenced to 200 years in prison for possessing 20 images of child pornography. It is not protected by the First Amendment, and the penalties are increased if the victim is a child under 15 years of age.

Serious crime

Violation of federal child pornography law is a serious crime and convicted offenders face severe statutory penalties. "Images of child pornography are not protected by First Amendment rights, and are illegal contraband under federal law," according to the website of the Department of Justice.

Section 2256 of Title 18, United States Code, defines any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor as child pornography. This visual depiction may include photographs, videos, digital or computer generated images indistinguishable from an actual minor, and images created, adapted, or modified, but appear to depict an identifiable, actual minor.

Even an undeveloped film, undeveloped videotape, and electronically stored data which can be converted into a visual image are also considered illegal visual depictions under the federal law.

Under the law, a first-time child pornography offender, who is convicted of producing it, faces a fine along with a statutory minimum of 15 years to 30 years maximum in prison under 18 U.S.C. § 2251.

"A first-time offender convicted of transporting child pornography in interstate or foreign commerce under 18 U.S.C. § 2252, faces a fine and a statutory minimum of 5 years to 20 years maximum in prison."

If the convicted offender has previously been convicted of child pornography or if the child pornography offense has occurred in aggravated situations such as — images are violent, sadistic, or masochistic in nature, the minor was sexually abused, he may face up to life imprisonment.