More than any other crime, with the possible exception of homicide, a sexual crime carries with it a stigma that can follow a person for the rest of their life. In addition to serving time in vicious prisons, where sex offenders are the pariahs among pariahs, a convicted sex offender often has to register with local authorities wherever he/she might go. Furthermore, neighbors can often access this information on the Internet, which can make living or working in the area practically impossible.
Picking Up The Pieces
Life in and after prison is seldom easy for convicted sex offenders. All across the nation, states are imposing much stricter sentencing laws for any crime that has a sexual element. Even after the prisoner has supposedly paid their debt to society and is released from confinement, the convict is often required to register with the local police or sheriff's department within 48 hours after reestablishing residency.
Marked Men
In most cases, the offender must provide the authorities with a current address and place of work, if available, as well as recent photographs and fingerprints. All of this information, including a picture and a description of the crime he/she was convicted of, may be accessed by the public on popular online databases. Failing to register or to provide full and accurate information can result in a third-degree felony charge in most states, which typically leads to additional jail time and/or other penalties.
The state may also impose restrictions on where certain sex offenders can live and work. Those who were convicted of crimes against minors may not reside within 1000 feet of a school, park, playground, or any other area that is frequented by children. These same offenders are prohibited from volunteering at any school, park, playground, or business where children are regularly present.
Fight The Charges
The intention of our discussion is not to insinuate that the legal system is too hard on sex offenders, but rather to encourage anyone who has been accused of one of these crimes to contact a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. As we have illustrated, the authorities take sexual charges very seriously. A person who is convicted of one will have to live the rest of their life subjected to strict limitations.
Possible Defenses
As ugly as the charges against you may be, your criminal defense attorney will do his best to protect your legal rights. To establish a legitimate legal defense, the team must know every detail about your case. Based on that information, they may pursue one of the following defense strategies:
- Innocence: If you are completely innocent of the charges against you, your lawyer may try to establish an alibi and refute the testimony against you.
- Consent: When an alleged sexual crime involves two adults, the accused may admit to having an intimate relationship with his accuser, but may profess that the sex was consensual.
- Mental Incapacity: If you have a mental disease or defect, it may be possible to argue that you should not be held legally responsible for the charges against you.
Whatever the facts of the case or the charges you face, a criminal defense attorney can help you protect your rights if you are accused of a sexual crime.
