Sex Crimes Lawyer

Few types of criminal allegations have more immediate repercussions in a defendant’s personal and professional life than those involving sexual impropriety. Those negative effects sometimes persist even if the person is ultimately acquitted of any criminal wrongdoing. Of course, being convicted of a sex crime can result in exponentially greater consequences, often including thousands of dollars in fines, years of imprisonment, and decades of being publicly labeled as both a convicted felon and a sex offender.

All that being said, though, there is still a lot you can do after being accused of a sex crime to enforce your legal rights and protect your best interests. Assistance from a seasoned defense attorney is critical to doing so effectively and efficiently. If you have been formally accused or even just suspect you may soon be accused of a sexual offense, seeking representation from a qualified sex crimes lawyer should be your top priority.

Understanding Different Types of Sex Crime Charges

The blanket term “sex crime” can refer to a host of different criminal offenses involving unlawful sexual behavior, most—but not all—of which are categorized as felony offenses. Out of the few “sex crimes” that may be prosecuted as misdemeanors, prostitution and solicitation of a prostitute’s services are among the most common. In some states, there are certain forms of unlawful sexual contact or molestation which can be treated as misdemeanor offenses.

As for felony sex crimes, it is worth noting that different states define offenses of this nature in different ways, and what qualifies as a particular type of sex crime in one state may be defined as a different type of sex crime—or even not explicitly criminalized at all—in other states. The most notable example of this is “sexual assault,” which is defined in some states to include numerous forms of non-consensual sexual conduct with another person and defined in other states to only include penetrative sexual intercourse.

It is worth emphasizing as well that certain offenses are treated as sex crimes only under certain circumstances—for instance, a kidnapping charge could be treated as a sex crime and potentially result in sanctions like mandatory sex offender registration if the defendant performed the act in question expressly for a sexual purpose. A sex crimes attorney can go into more specific detail about a particular charge during a private initial meeting.

What Does Sex Offender Registration Entail?

In addition to the National Sex Offender Registry maintained by the Department of Justice, each state in the U.S. also maintains its own sex offender registry containing information about every person convicted of a qualifying sex crime in the state. Sex offender registration is not required for every single offense referred to colloquially as a “sex crime,” but it is a condition for the vast majority of convictions of this nature.

Convicted sex offenders must provide personal identifying information to law enforcement and update that information on a regular basis for the duration of their required registration period, which—depending on the state and sometimes on the specific offense(s) committed—can be several years long or last for the rest of the offender’s life. An experienced sex crime defense lawyer can provide more information about what registration requirements a specific offense may carry.

Consider Working With a Skilled Sex Crimes Attorney

Sex crimes are taken extremely seriously by both law enforcement authorities and the public at large, and the criminal consequences associated with these charges tend to be especially harsh even by the usual standards of criminal prosecutors. If you are dealing with an accusation of this nature, the steps you take now to preserve your rights and contest your charges could have a significant impact on the rest of your life.

Help is available from a dedicated sex crimes lawyer. Call today for a consultation.