A judge sentenced an Ohio man to 4 years behind bars for Photoshopping pictures. Thanks to apps like Photoshop, it’s pretty easy for anyone to alter photographs. Most of us view dozens of altered images every day just scrolling through our Facebook feeds. So what did this guy do that put him in jail?
Kenneth Michael Laseur, 36, of Lebanon, Ohio altered images of adult pornography and superimposed the face of a little girl onto the porn. Pornographic images involving adults are generally protected by the First Amendment. However, sexually explicit images of children are against the law because of the child sexual abuse that takes place when the images are captured.
On Probation
In this case, no child participated in sexual acts. Kenneth Michael Laseur admitted that he placed the little girl’s face on an adult body. Laseur knew the little girl and had non-pornographic images of her on his computer and phone. He took those innocent images and placed the child’s face on the body of adults depicted in engaging in various types of sexual activity.
Laseur was already on probation in Hamilton County after a conviction for telecommunications harassment when law enforcement busted him for violating the terms of his probation. After the arrest, officers seized and searched his computer and cell phone. Investigators discovered the original images he used to create his own pornography on those devices.
He admitted to his probation officer and the FBI that he created the images using photoshopping tools he found online. While no actual child sexual abuse took place to create the images, officials said the images lacked any serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value and were obscene.
Laseur accepted a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to possessing obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children back in August. The federal court in Dayton sentenced him to 53 months in prison.
Revenge Porn Illegal
Unauthorized sharing of nude photos of adults can land you in trouble as well. That’s called revenge porn and it’s illegal in 46 states. However, sharing photoshopped images superimposing an adult face on an adult body is only illegal in Virginia.
