Washington DC : In an unprecedented case, Hunter Biden, the 54-year-old son of President Joe Biden, has been convicted on three counts of providing false information to purchase a handgun in 2018 while under the influence of drugs. This marks the first time in U.S. history that a child of a sitting president has been criminally convicted.

After a jury deliberated for three hours over two days, Biden was found guilty on all charges filed against him - making a false statement to buy a gun, illegal possession of a gun by a drug addict, and providing false information to a federally licensed gun dealer.

The conviction carries potential sentences of up to 10 years in prison for the false statement charge, 10 years for the illegal possession charge, and 5 years for the false dealer information charge - a total of up to 25 years behind bars. However, as a first-time offender, Hunter Biden may avoid prison time.

The ruling comes at an inopportune time for President Biden, who is expected to launch his re-election campaign soon. In a statement, Biden expressed "love and support" for his son while stating he would respect the judicial process after an appeal.

"I am not only a president but also a father. Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of who he is today," Biden said after an event in Wilmington, Delaware.

The conviction has complicated Democratic efforts to shift focus towards former President Donald Trump's own legal troubles, including his recent conviction on tax evasion charges in California.

Republicans have increasingly targeted Hunter Biden to create a negative atmosphere around President Biden's expected re-election bid. As a Yale-trained lawyer, Hunter Biden allegedly provided false information that he had never used drugs when purchasing a .38 caliber revolver in 2018.