An internet sex crime accusation can change your life forever. If convicted, not only will you face prison time and fines, but you will be required to register as a sex offender – for life. Our firm may be able to help you if you are facing any type of internet sex crime, including the following:
Solicitation of a minor is a common Internet sex crime in which an adult scours chat rooms, message boards, online communities, and social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace with the intention of meeting, luring, or enticing a minor to have sex. Using the Internet to solicit sexual acts from a minor continues to be one of the most prevalent internet sex crimes against children.
In an effort to try and catch people who solicit sex from minors on the Internet, state and federal law enforcement agencies set up sting operations to try to find people who commit this crime. During a sting operation, a law enforcement official poses as a minor. If the adult under investigation asks the “minor” for inappropriate pictures, or if the adult asks to the minor to meet in person for sex, then he/she will face charges for solicitation of a minor. Sometimes law enforcement will drag out a sting operation to see if the adult will actually show up at the arranged place. When the adult shows up, law enforcement is already there waiting to conduct an arrest.
If you have been arrested for soliciting sex from a minor in Los Angeles, it’s crucial for you to hire an attorney who has experience defending people charged with this type of Internet sex crime. The penalties for solicitation of a minor are quite severe. Using the Internet to arrange to meet a minor for sex will result in up to one year in jail and fines up to $5,000. If you actually met a minor in person, you could face up to 4 years in prison and be required to pay much larger fines. Furthermore, things can get even more complicated when you arrange a meeting with a minor in another state. Not only will you face criminal charges in California, but you can also be tried in the other state as well.
Using the internet to solicit sexual acts or participate in any other type of crime can result in incredibly serious charges. If you are facing charges for such an offense, you must contact an experienced sex crimes defense attorney right away. These types of cases require a lot of work, long investigations, and extremely aggressive defense.
At Okabe & Haushalter, we have represented many clients charged with solicitation of a minor, and understand what is required to successfully defend someone in court. We understand that your rights, freedom, and reputation are on the line here. Let us use our resources, skills, and expertise to help you fight your charges and prevent an Internet sex crime conviction from ruining your life.
