Forest Acres Sex Crimes Lawyer

Being charged with a sex crime can potentially destroy your life. There are stiff penalties for child molestation and crimes of violence that involve sex, statutory rape, sexual abuse, spousal rape using excessive force, and a range of other sex crimes.

But there are other issues that are just as significant, namely the social stigma and disgust of your neighbors that can accompany a sex crime conviction. A conviction could land someone on the South Carolina sex offender registry, which will follow the person throughout their life, making it hard to find a place to live or a job.

Therefore, it is so important to hire an experienced and knowledgeable Forest Acres sex crimes lawyer to defend you when charged with one of these offenses. Call today and schedule a consultation with a qualified criminal defense attorney who can help.

Criminal Solicitation of a Minor

One of the most problematic sex crimes for defendants is criminal solicitation of a minor. According to the South Carolina statutes section 16-15-342, criminal solicitation occurs when a person over 18 communicates with or attempts to communicate with, someone who is under 18 for the purpose of seducing or persuading that underage person to have sex or some form of sexual activity.

The perpetrator is also guilty of criminal solicitation if their intent is to perform a sex act in the presence of an underage person. The problematic aspect of criminal solicitation of a minor, once the facts are proven, is that there is only one viable defense: the person communicated with is 16 years old or older and consented to sexual activity.

There is no defense against the charge if the minor is under the age of 16. It is not even a defense if the person the defendant thought was underage was, in fact, a law enforcement officer or agent. Being found guilty of felony criminal solicitation of a minor can result in a fine of up to $5,000 and a ten-year prison sentence.

Other Sex Offenses That Carry Heavy Penalties

If a person has been charged with giving obscene material to a person under eighteen, that is a felony in South Carolina. If someone has been convicted, they can be sent to prison for up to 10 years. If the minor is 12 years or under, a conviction may result in a sentence of up to 15 years.

A person exposing their private parts to another person or enticing someone else to expose themselves in the presence of another person can result in a $500 fine and up to six months in jail.

There are many more sex crimes that result in serious consequences if an individual is convicted. South Carolina is a conservative state and all sex crimes are taken very seriously and result in heavy penalties. A skilled Forest Acres sex crimes lawyer could leverage their knowledge and experience to mitigate the penalties that an individual may face.

What a Forest Acres Sex Crimes Attorney Can Do for You

An experienced and knowledgeable sex crimes attorney in Forest Acres could carefully research the alleged offense to determine if a crime was or was not committed. Your lawyer could review witness statements, carefully consider all the physical evidence and police reports.

If possible, the attorney may interview witnesses to determine if their stories stand up to scrutiny.

Any mitigating factors, such as drug or alcohol use on the part of the defendant, victim and/or witnesses will be carefully examined. All of this effort is important to keep you from being falsely convicted of a sex crime.