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What is a computer crime?

Whitney S. Boan Protecting Your Right

Video Transcript

A computer crime is a crime that obviously involves some allegation that you have used a computer in a manner that constitutes a criminal offense. Specifically, what that can mean is, that whether or not you think you’ve committed a crime, you may have done something that could constitute a crime or you could even be charged with a crime for doing something with a computer that you didn’t do by virtue of the fact that the computer is used by a number of individuals. Examples of this could be crimes where you’re charged with possession of child pornography, meaning that you had a computer where there were images of child pornography or you used a computer where there were images of child pornography.

It could also include crimes where you commit fraud or you contact a minor for a sexual offense, where you’re using a computer. There is a lot of new computer crimes that are developing as technology progresses. It’s important that if you think you may have even done something that could conceivably be considered a computer crime that you immediately call a lawyer so that you can figure out what if any, rights you have and to try to minimize, if not, mitigate risk.