If you are charged with an internet sex crime, it is vital to secure experienced and aggressive legal representation as early on as possible from an Athens internet sex crime lawyer. Being charged with a sex crime in Ohio can lead to severe consequences, including substantial fines, lengthy periods of incarceration, and mandatory sex offender registration.
Conviction can also result in significant collateral consequences like difficulty finding housing, employment, or maintaining relationships, and can damage your reputation. As an experienced criminal defense attorney with broad experience defending clients facing these serious charges, I can help you overcome the complexities of the legal system, safeguard your rights, and potentially mitigate the consequences of the charges.
In Ohio and across the U.S., arrests for possession of child pornography and other Internet sex crimes have risen drastically. Why? Because law enforcement is under pressure to reduce sex crimes involving minors.
To catch alleged sexual predators, however, police may use questionable methods. If you were charged with importuning or another Internet sex crime, speak with an importuning attorney immediately. I provide cyber sex crimes defense as an Athens attorney representing cases throughout the Greater Columbus area.
Do not wait to contact an Athens attorney if you are being investigated for or have been charged for an alleged internet sex crime, or your legal rights could be left in peril. Importuning, as defined in Ohio Revised Code § 2907.07, is the act of soliciting a person to engage in sexual activity under certain circumstances, including via online methods. Specifically, it involves soliciting someone under 13 to engage in sexual activity, or when the offender is 18 or older and significantly older than the other person (13-16 years old).
Importuning is classified as a felony, with potential penalties ranging from fifth-degree to second-degree felonies, depending on the specifics of the case. Penalties can include prison sentences, with durations varying based on the felony degree, from months to close to a decade, and fines can range from a few thousand dollars to upwards of $15,000. In some cases, importuning can result in mandatory sex offender registration and also lead to loss of child custody rights.
Sextortion, which includes online sexual extortion, is also a felony offense with penalties that can include prison time and fines. The offense can be as severe as a first-degree felony if the victim is a minor, elderly, or disabled person, per Ohio Rev. Code § 2905.11. All child pornography offenses are prosecuted as felonies, and penalties are significant at both the state and federal level. Possessing, distributing, or controlling child pornography can result in many years in prison in addition to steep financial penalties in the event of a conviction.
Internet sex crimes can include offenses such as possession or distribution of child pornography and online solicitation of a minor. If you have been charged with these crimes, you may feel as though no one can help you, but there are defenses to these charges. With my experience and my access to private investigators, I know how to build a compelling defense.
I will investigate the police procedure to determine whether your constitutional rights were violated. Police officers may have used entrapment by operating an online sting in a chat room. By thoroughly examining the evidence and the arrest record, I may discover that police used illegal tactics during their investigation. Exposing these violations of your rights may allow me to argue for the suppression of evidence and the reduction or dismissal of the charges.
In addition, I can challenge the prosecution’s assertion that you were in possession of child pornography. It is important to investigate how the images appeared on your computer. Perhaps another person had access to your computer. The images could have been downloaded without your knowledge.
If you were charged with importuning or Internet solicitation of a minor, you are facing felony penalties, including having to register as a sex offender nationally and on Ohio’s sex offender registry. You may also receive a prison sentence if you are convicted. Simply being charged with a sex crime involving a minor can permanently damage your reputation and relationships, so it is critical to retain an Athens internet sex crime lawyer like myself as soon as possible to minimize the criminal and personal effects of the charges.