JAG Lawyer Accused of KID Porn (and Maybe More)

If we hadn’t already bestowed Lawyer of the Day honors on Angela West, the Harvard Law grad who maybe shouldn’t have had that extra espresso shot at Peet’s, we’d give them to Lieutenant Commander Mark Tilford. He’s an attorney for the Judge Advocate General’s Corps down in Corpus Christi, Texas.

One would expect a lawyer for the military — the Navy, no less — to be a paragon of virtue. But if the federal criminal charges against him are true, Lt. Cmdr. Tilford may have been more interested in probing than probity.

According to the Corpus Christi Caller Times, Tilford has been indicted on charges of receiving and distributing child pornography. And this might not be his first sex-related brush with the law….

Tilford, 43, is facing a nine-count indictment, alleging that he received and distributed child pornography from July to September 2010. The indictment, dated December 20, was unsealed after Tilford was arrested this past Wednesday at his home.

The potential penalties for kiddie porn are steep. The Caller Times reports that Tilford could face anywhere from five to 20 years in prison.

It also seems that Tilford may have a history of libido-related legal troubles. There’s an entry for him in a database maintained by the Corpus Christi police department of prostitution offenses, which states that he was arrested on April 3, 2010, on a charge of “Prostitution.” The ultimate disposition of that charge is unclear.

Sponsored

Our former small law firms columnist, Josh Dickinson, is joining the JAG Corps. We wish him the best — and advise him to avoid the kiddie porn and whores.

P.S. If you’re interested in becoming our new small-firm columnist, please send in your application NOW (more details here). We are reviewing the submissions this weekend and plan to reach out to finalists next week. Thanks.

P.P.S. Speaking of kiddie porn defendants, does anyone have any updates on Joshua Gessler, the former Arnold & Porter associate charged with possessing and producing child pornography? If so, please email us (subject line: “Josh Gessler”).

Corpus Christi Navy officer indicted on child pornography charges [Corpus Christi Caller Times]
Prostitution Offenses in Corpus Christi [Corpus Christi Police Department]

Sponsored