United States v. Nathaniel Solon was a lawsuit where Nathaniel Solon, a Casper citizen, was convicted for possession of child pornography. The case became known in the media by irregularities in the process, and suspicions (affirmed by the defendant) that the material was introduced by malware on the computer. There were other people accused of similar crimes, who were later acquitted, but Solon was never exonerated.
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Background
Nathaniel Solon was charged on January 18, 2007 by the indictment with possessing child pornography. On October 2, 2007, he pleaded guilty. When he came back for another hearing on January 8, 2008, however, Solon stated that he was an innocent man, and the only reason that he had pleaded guilty in the first place was because he believed that he did not have the financial resources to hire an expert witness to investigate his defense. In regard to his explanation, the court appointed him a private attorney to represent him. With the court's approval, Solon was able to request an expert witness, with an investigation budget of $20,000 supplied by the court.
Court Proceedings
Circuit: 10th Plaintiff: Appellee V. Nathaniel SOLON Defndant: Appellant Case Number: 09-8018. Date: February 17, 2010 Circuit Judges: TACHA, SEYMOUR, LUCERO