It is easy to see stories about people charged with sex crimes and think, “it could never happen to me”. People accused of possessing child pornography or engaging in lewd behavior are easy to label as “them”. After all, a good person would never find themselves on the wrong side of a sex crimes charge.
Right?
Wrong.
The people who get accused of or charged with sex crimes are your neighbors, coworkers, and possibly even your friends and family.
Consider the following two scenarios that could result in life-altering sex crimes charges.
Scenario 1: A “Rash” Decision Results in an Arrest
Childhood illnesses and maladies always seem to crop up when a parent can least afford the time or expense. This was the case for John Doe, who noticed that his child had developed a rash below the waistline during bath time. John snapped some photos of the area with the plans to ask his pediatrician for advice.
Weeks later, John Doe was arrested for possession of child pornography. Yes, even photos taken for medical purposes can result in child pornography charges. Unfortunately, not having skilled defense representation can allow such a misunderstanding to spiral into a conviction, prison sentence and sex offender registration.
Scenario 2: Poor Decisions Can Happen In a Flash
Jane Doe was the life of the party, especially after a couple of cocktails. In the wee hours of the morning, she thought it would be fun make her friends laugh by flashing a passerby as she left the bar. Unfortunately for Jane, the officer parked along the sidewalk thought otherwise and hauled her into the precinct for indecent exposure. She now faces the prospect of going through life with a sexually-based offense on her record.
John and Jane don’t seem like hardened criminals, do they? If the unthinkable happens to you, make sure your first action is enlisting the help of a skilled criminal defense lawyer.