Sex Offenses

There is no crime that carries with it the stigma of a sex crime. In sex cases, not only are they almost always felony cases punishable by significant prison time, if you are convicted of a sex crime, you will almost assuredly have to register as a sexual predator or sexual offender FOR LIFE.

Registration usually includes conditions restricting where you live and where you go if you are convicted of a sex crime. Due in part to highly publicized heinous crimes committed by sex offenders, these laws are very strict in Florida and often do not distinguish between a consensual sexual act by two teenagers and a forcible rape, or crime against a child.

Even being charged with a sex crime is often very damaging to someone because of the damage it does to a defendant’s reputation, regardless of the eventual outcome. It is important to contact an attorney as soon as you become aware that you are being investigated for such a crime. Sex crimes are the most important crimes to have confident representation due to their very serious nature and consequences. Unfortunately, these are crimes where people are sometimes falsely accused due to the one-on-one, no witness, nature of crime.

Laws are not only getting tougher, legislators are creating new laws regarding criminal sexual activity now. Many of these crimes are computer sex crimes that either involve the person looking at sexual images of children or going into chat rooms or internet sites trying to lure people/children into sexual acts. Some of the more common crimes in Florida are listed below.

• Sexual Battery (Rape)
• Lewd and Lascivious Crimes
• Internet Related Sex Crimes
• Failure To Register As A Sex Offender

Summary

In many cases, all it takes to charge someone with a sex crime is a baseless accusation. If you believe you are the target of such an investigation or if you have been charged with any sex related crime, it is in your best interest to call our office to discuss your case. We have both prosecuted and defended various sex related crimes. To find out more about the sexual predator and offender laws, check out the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s website under ‘sexual offenders’ at fdle.state.fl.us or Legal Bulletins.