Los Angeles Sex Crimes Lawyers
California takes sex crimes very seriously, and the courts will severely punish those convicted of one. Fines, jail time or a record as a sex offender are all possible consequences of a conviction. Mandatory registration in a sex offender registry is also a serious result of a conviction.
This means your personal information would be made available for public view, such as the California Megan's Law website.
It also means that your personal and professional reputation can be ruined with just one criminal sex crime conviction. If you are facing any type of sex crime charge, contact one of our experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys immediately to ensure that your interests are protected.
Avoiding the Filing of Formal Sex Crime Charges
By contacting our skilled sex crime defense lawyers early in your case, during an investigation before formal sex crime charges have been filed, you are taking a critical step that can have a huge impact on the outcome in court and your chances of avoiding harsh legal criminal penalties and a ruined reputation.
Some crimes in California are where a prosecutor has the discretion to file the case as either a misdemeanor or felony misdemeanor—commonly known as a “wobbler.”
When you retain our law firm to handle your case in the early stages, we can immediately begin work during the investigation stage. During this phase, an experienced defense lawyer who has the proper resources and knowledge of California sex crime laws may be able to limit your criminal investigation to avoid the formal filing of charges.
By selecting a highly experienced criminal defense attorney at our law firm, you can be confident that you will receive the most effective legal team available. We have successfully defended countless clients who were facing allegations of a sexually related crime, and we are ready to aggressively defend you.
If you are convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, you could face serious collateral consequences, such as deportation or loss of a professional license.
Have you Been Arrested for a Sexual Offense?
The serious nature of a sex crime charge makes it one of the most difficult types of cases to defend. However, with an experienced and dedicated criminal defense attorney, you will have a much better chance to avoid a conviction.
Sex crimes cover a wide range of offenses, including indecent exposure under California Penal Code 314, child molestation under Penal Code 647.6, rape under Penal Code 261, and internet sex crimes, among many others.
It takes a legal team with extensive knowledge of sex crime laws and resources to thoroughly examine the evidence against you to build an effective defense strategy that has the best chance of success. Your case has to be reviewed from every angle to seek any possible errors.
This includes collecting evidence, evaluating witness statements and credibility, and determining whether your legal rights were violated. All these issues can be critical to the outcome of your case.
At Cron, Israels & Stark, we defend people throughout the greater Los Angeles area against a wide variety of sex crimes charges. We understand the devastating impact being charged or convicted of these types of crimes can have on your personal and professional life.
We will fiercely fight to protect your rights and work to minimize any charges brought against you. The collection of a DNA sample is common in sex crime investigations.
Statutory Rape Law in California - Penal Code 261.5 PC
California law defines statutory rape under Penal Code 261.5 as sexual intercourse between an adult and a minor. This is a felony sex crime offense even when the sexual activity was consensual, because a minor is deemed unable to give legal consent to have sexual intercourse.
There are a few exceptions, however, so a criminal lawyer must review the circumstances of your case to determine if you could avoid statutory rape charges altogether.
If you are convicted of statutory rape, the penalties will vary primarily depending upon the age of the defendant and the victim.
Lesser penalties will apply if the defendant and victim are close in age (normally by 3 years or less). Increased penalties could be imposed if the victim is under 16 and the defendant is 21 years or older.
A closely related crime includes California Penal Code 288.5, continuous sexual abuse of a child.
Statutory rape criminal charges are often difficult to defend. In many cases, the sexual activity occurred when the minor consented or even initiated. However, according to the law, an adult cannot participate in sexual intercourse with a minor unless they are legally married.
Committed to Reaching a Favorable Outcome
Our attorneys have decades of experience in providing criminal defense – we know the law and we know your rights. Moreover, we fully understand how prosecutors construct their cases and we can use that knowledge to create a well-reasoned and persuasive defense in your case.
You can count on us to use every legal resource to reach a positive outcome in your case. We treat our clients with respect and keep a singular focus on resolving every case to their benefit.
Our Los Angeles sex crime defense lawyers have successfully defended any type of sexual-related offense. This includes the most serious cases of child pornography, child molestation, statutory rape, rape and sexual battery, forcible penetration with a foreign object, sex offender registration, arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes, and failure to register as a sex offender.
We also handle arrest for lewd and lascivious molestation, contact a minor for a felony, sex crime criminal appeals, oral copulation with a minor, federal sex crime, lewd conduct, continuous sexual abuse of a child, lewd acts by a caretaker, possession of obscene material, habitual sex offender, internet sex crimes, lewd acts with a minor, lewd acts with force, sending harmful material to minor, child prostitution, gang rape, sex with a minor, sodomy, human trafficking, pimping and pandering, revenge porn, and sexting.
In child porn possession cases under California Penal Code 311, we have used effective child pornography defense defense strategies to avoid jail time or conviction.
Our legal team believes every individual who has been charged with a sex crime has the right to effective legal representation because our experience has taught us that false accusations in sex crime cases are not that uncommon. We also handle cases of prostitution and solicitation, indecent exposure, loitering for prostitution, domestic violence sexual battery cases and restraining orders.
Contact Our Defense Attorneys for Help
Suppose you have been arrested for a sexual-related offense in Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino, or Ventura County. In that case, it is important to obtain the legal services of a defense lawyer who has experience defending these types of cases. We are very familiar with defending sex crime cases.
We understand the importance of aggressive legal representation to avoid a conviction and harsh legal penalties. Any allegation that you have been involved with a sexual-related offense can have a major impact on your future.
Therefore, you need to consult with a defense lawyer as soon as possible for information on your legal options. We will create a strong legal defense on your behalf. It would be best if you did not put your future in the hands of an inexperienced public defender.
Contact our office to discuss your legal issue with one of our attorneys. We will be there with you throughout the process, fighting for your rights and working for a positive result.
Related Content: