Salt Lake City Divorce Attorney on Pornography Affect on Custody

An addiction to pornography can be like a wrecking ball for marriages, which can then ultimately lead to divorce. We can’t imagine the hurtful place you are in and the decisions you must now make for yourself and your family because of the bad decisions he has made. That is what we are here for:  We will step in and stand up for you. Our divorce attorney at Emy A. Cordano, Attorney at Law in Salt Lake City has extensive experience handling complex divorce cases like these. Here is a guide to a few factors you need to consider in a divorce case that involves a spousal pornography addiction:

IT IS THE LAW OF UTAH

Statistics show that if a spouse is addicted to pornography, divorce rates double. It is especially serious if that spouse has exposed his children to pornography. The “Dealing in Material Harmful to a Minor” law makes it illegal, per Utah code Title 76, Chapter 10, Section 1206, Part 12, which basically makes it unlawful to distribute, exhibit, or allow a minor to have immediate access to material harmful to a child, which includes pornographic material. This can also include openly viewing pornography on a computer in front of children or leaving it up on the computer for children to be exposed to it.

Utah’s marriage law goes further to explain that, in divorce cases, the court has the right to enter an order of custody and restricted parenting time – a jurisdiction the court will continue to review and modify if needed.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF PORNOGRAPHY

According to Utah law, in addition to potentially losing custody of his children, the convicted addict could face these charges:

• He must pay a minimum of $1,000, plus $10 for every item that was displayed (this doesn’t include court costs and other fees)
• He may face a jail sentence of no less than 14 days.
• He will have a third-degree felony on his record. Each additional offense is considered a Class A misdemeanor for a minor that is 16 or 17 years old and a Class B misdemeanor for those minors under 16.
  If he was previously convicted of exposing a minor to pornography, he will be charged with a second-degree felony and pay a minimum of $5,000, plus $10 per item and spend no less than one year in jail.

WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU 

We know you are facing difficult times if you have discovered that your spouse has an addiction to pornography – especially if he has exposed your children to harmful material. You have a lot of decisions to make for you and your family, from proceeding with a divorce or talking to a marriage therapist. Whether you need to discuss your marriage and child custody rights in Utah or want advice on what steps to take next in the courtroom, our family law attorney at Emy A. Cordano, Attorney at Law in Salt Lake City is here to fight for you and your needs every step of the way.