Child pornography charges can completely upend your life. Many defendants often have difficulty moving on after criminal proceedings are complete. Finding employment is one of many significant hurdles.
A conviction for child pornography charges remains on your criminal record, and it might land you on the New Jersey Sex Offender Registry. Being on the registry often makes it harder to find work. Certain jobs are off-limits for those convicted of child pornography offenses. For example, a convicted defendant could never work with children or even in a job that puts them near children. Even if you are not convicted, finding employment might still be hard. The social stigma surrounding child pornography charges, even when they are dropped or dismissed, can be difficult to overcome. People often believe they are required to inform potential employers about child pornography charges, but this might not always be the case, especially if you were not actually convicted.
Contact our Atlantic City child pornography possession attorneys for a free review of your case by calling (609) 616-4956 and talking to our team at the Law Offices of John J. Zarych.
How a Child Porn Case in NJ Affects Your Record
When a defendant is convicted of certain sexual offenses, they may be required to register as a sex offender. Like almost all other states, New Jersey has strict registration requirements for convicted defendants. The public may access the registry, and being on the registry can make it difficult to find employment.
According to N.J.S.A. § 2C:7-2(b), many different criminal offenses may lead to registration as a sex offender, including those related to child pornography. If you are convicted, you are required by law to register. If you fail to register, you might face additional charges and penalties, which can be very serious.
Having a conviction in your criminal record is hard enough to deal with, but being a registered sex offender might have ripple effects across various facets of your life, including your job opportunities. Not only can potential employers see your conviction in routine background checks, but members of your local community can see your name on the registry, making it even harder to find work.
Once you are convicted, there is not a lot you can do to make getting a job easier. The best way to deal with the situation is to fight your charges and hopefully avoid a conviction. Our NJ child pornography possession lawyers can help you fight your case and hopefully clear your good name.
Jobs You Cannot Get if You Are Convicted of Child Pornography Charges in NJ
Certain career fields require potential employees to have clean criminal records. If you are convicted of charges related to child pornography, certain work opportunities might no longer be possible. This is all the more reason to hire a qualified attorney to vigorously fight your charges.
Jobs that involve working with or near children are likely off-limits. As a registered sex offender, a person is often barred from being near children or certain places where children congregate. For example, you cannot get a job as a schoolteacher. You likely cannot get any job in a school where minors are present. This includes more than teaching positions. A person would be unable to work as a maintenance worker or a custodian in a school if they are convicted of child pornography crimes.
While certain employment opportunities might no longer be possible if a defendant is convicted of child pornography charges, not all opportunities are lost. According to N.J.S.A. § 2C:7-16(c), unless some other law provides otherwise, a person’s status as a registered sex offender may not be used to deny them health insurance, lines of credit, educational scholarships or fellowships, loans, public benefits, or housing. Note, however, that employment denial is specifically left off that list.
Will I Lose Work Even if I Am Not Convicted of Child Porn Charges in NJ?
The law offers certain protections to those convicted of crimes that land them on the Sex Offender Registry. However, the law cannot protect convicted defendants from all unfair treatment. Remember, the registry may be publicly accessible, and many defendants face intense social stigma.
Sometimes, getting a job is difficult even when defendants are not convicted. Often, neighbors or other members of the community find out about an arrest for child porn and inform other community members. Word might quickly spread, and suddenly, nobody wants to hire you. Even if you are qualified for the job, employers might refuse to hire you because they do not want to alienate themselves from the community. They risk losing business and their livelihoods. Unfortunately, word of a person’s innocence tends to spread much slower.
While fighting rumors within your community is tricky, we can work to clear your name. Under N.J.S.A. § 2C:52-6(a), arrests that do not result in convictions – perhaps because charges were dismissed or acquitted – the court may order the expungement of all records about the case, including records of your arrest. If your charges were dismissed or you were found not guilty, but the court did not order the expungement, we can help you get the arrest removed from your record. This way, employers will not see records of your arrest for child pornography if they run a background check.
Do I Always Have to Tell Employers About Child Porn Charges or Convictions in NJ?
While criminal background checks are a fairly normal part of the hiring process, employers may not freely discriminate against those with criminal records. Even if you are convicted of something like possessing child pornography, employers must follow proper protocols.
According to N.J.S.A. § § 34:6B-14(1)-(2), employers may not require job applicants to disclose their criminal record during an initial application process. This means that an employer cannot even ask about a possible criminal record until after you apply for a job.
However, an inquiry into an applicant’s criminal history may be permitted after an initial interview. If a background check is to be conducted, job applicants typically must be informed. For example, you might be offered a job contingent on passing a background check.
Speak to Our Child Pornography Possession Attorneys to Discuss Your Situation
Contact our Cape May child pornography possession attorneys for a free review of your case by calling (609) 616-4956 and talking to our team at the Law Offices of John J. Zarych.
