Criminal charges of any kind can have a profound impact on a person’s future. From employability to key educational opportunities, the effect can be far reaching. Whether facing lesser allegations or more serious charges — such as those that involve accusations of sex crimes — minimizing this effect is essential for most people in North Dakota.
A 50-year-old male pharmacist is facing multiple felony charges for supposedly inappropriate behavior involving a minor. According to police, the incidents apparently started as far back as 2016, when a teenage girl reported that her phone was hacked. She claimed that someone else had somehow learned her login and password information for her phone, and was using that access to leave and then delete messages. One of those messages purportedly included an image of a nude female with a minor’s face photoshopped over the original.
Police claim that they discovered multiple social media accounts, email addresses and other accounts linked to the incident with the teenage girl’s phone. When a sexually explicit video file appeared on the phone in 2017, police linked it to one of the pharmacist’s email accounts. The video was also sent to 20 other people, including one other minor, the pharmacist’s adult sons and his wife.
The investigation into these incidents is ongoing, and police may file new charges in addition to the dozens he currently faces. Since sex crimes — particularly those involving minors — are treated quite seriously in North Dakota, defendants facing such accusations often choose to begin constructing a solid foundation for their defense as early on as possible. These efforts are typically best accomplished with the input of an experienced counsel who understands how both state and federal laws may apply to charges.
Source: grandforksherald.com, “ND pharmacist charged with terrorizing, sending child porn“, Blair Emerson, May 15, 2018