Computer Crimes Attorney for Juveniles & Young Adults

Atlanta Area Criminal Defense Lawyer

Phones, tablets and computers play a huge roll in our day-to-day lives, so it’s no surprise that we have seen an increase in charges for computer related crimes.  The term “computer crimes” can refer to an extremely wide variety of criminal offenses.  It can involve cell phones, text messages, social media and messages left online.  For the purposes of explaining the services I offer, I want to make a distinction between two types of “computer crimes”.

• If you or your child is being investigated for an internet or computer related crime
  I work with juvenile offenders, so a lot of times these situations can start with the school administration, who will then refer the case to the local police.  I can not emphasize this enough:  if your child is involved in or being investigated because of an incident at school it’s never too early to contact a lawyer. Getting a lawyer involved early, before evidence is turned over to the police can dramatically impact how the case turns out.  In a lot of cases, getting a lawyer involved early can avoid charges being filed in the first place.  There are cases that are written off as “innocent childish behavior” and cases that turn into “distribution of a minor engaged in a sexual act” charges.  Sometimes early intervention can be the difference.
• If you have been charged with an internet or computer related crime
  If you’ve already been charged with an internet crime, that is likely the result of weeks or even months of evidence gathering against you.  You may have already had your electronic devices confiscated by law enforcement.  As an experienced criminal defense attorney, I can help you understand the charges against you and the best strategy for your defense. 

Types of Computer Related Crimes

There are charges where a computer, phone or tablet is used to carry out a crime that is already well defined; for instance:

• Theft
• Credit Card Fraud
• Harassment
• Embezzlement
• Identity Theft
• Enticing a minor through the use of a computer

There is also another class of much more complex crimes that only exist online.  The defenses for these types of criminal charges tend to be very complex because so much of the evidence is very technical in nature and can require some interpretation or even translating to fully understand.  A few examples of these types of cases include:

• Distribution of Child Pornography
• Spreading / Sending a Computer Virus
• Computer hacking or Trespass
• Destroying / Manipulating information or data illegally

Effective, Thoughtful Defense for Computer Related Crimes

If you or your child has been arrested, or is currently being investigated (even if that investigation is only being carried out by School Administration at this time) getting a lawyer involved early is critical.  Every day there are computer crimes that have devastating, life-altering results and there are also cases where the offender gets off with a warning.  To ensure that you are working through the situation effectively towards the best possible outcome, talk to Phyllis Gingrey Collins in an initial consultation.