If you are charged with a crime and are awaiting trial, you usually don’t have to worry about more charges coming up against you, as long as you walk a straight and narrow path. Sometimes though, the police are just getting started. That’s what happened to a San Diego man. Joseph Charles Welsh was charged with child pornography in September and is awaiting trial. During the wait, police added some additional charges and arrested him on suspicion of child molestation, child annoyance with a prior conviction, and manufacturing child pornography.
These additional charges could make a big difference for Welsh moving forward.
The Initial Charges
This all began in September when Welsh attended a family gathering in Fontana. Parents at the gathering became suspicious when they noticed that Welsh was photographing their children. The parents took his cell phone and immediately notified the police. They were uncomfortable with what was happening and wanted law enforcement to check it out.
The case was referred to the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, which served search warrants at both his San Diego home and business. The investigators found pornographic photos of children on various electronic devices. With the photos as evidence, they took him into custody and charged him with child pornography.
The New Charges
When Welsh was arrested the first time, he probably thought investigators were finished with him, but that was far from the truth. They kept on digging and finding as much evidence as they could. The new evidence led to the additional charges. There is no indication that additional investigations are going on right now. It sounds as if the police have likely finished up the investigation and brought all of the charges against the suspect.
This isn’t Welsh’s first brush with the law. He was convicted of the annoyance of a child and possession of child pornography in the 1990s. He registered as a sex offender from the time of his conviction until 2014. At that time, he petitioned the court, stating that since his offenses weren’t as serious as crimes committed by other sex offenders, he should not have to continue to register. He won his case and is no longer a registered sex offender.
If found guilty of these crimes, he will have to register as a sex offender once again, and it is not likely that he’ll be able to get off the list again. That’s especially true when you consider the public outcry. People are not happy that he was removed from the registry.
What to Do if You’re Charged with a Sex Crime
Sex crime convictions carry a lot of weight. You could spend lots of time in jail, and you might have to register as a sex offender for the rest of your life. Since these charges are so serious, you need serious representation. It is essential that you contact a lawyer as soon as charges are made against you. Let your attorney start working on your defense so you will get the representation you need during the trial.
Kerry L. Armstrong
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