Finding the Right Defense for Sex Crimes Involving Minors
At the Clearwater law firm of Joseph Montrone, Jr., P.A., I use my experience and training as a former prosecuting attorney to help people present their defenses to sex crimes involving minors and children. If you have been arrested on such charges, or if you believe you're under investigation for sex offenses involving minors, contact my office for a free consultation about your legal options.
Call 877-372-5763 for Advice About Resolving Sex Offenses Against Minors
I advise adults and juveniles about the best ways to resolve sex offense charges ranging from consensual sex between minors to online solicitation to capital sexual battery. In many sex crime cases, the suspect will know of an investigation or pending charges before an arrest or any formal charging decision has been made by the prosecution.
If you have the opportunity to get a lawyer's advice before you are charged, you'll be able to get your defense up and running before the government becomes committed to a particular version of the case. You might never have to answer the most serious potential charges.
These are among the specific charges I can advise you about, including:
- Capital sexual battery — sexual battery by a person over 18 on a child under 12; punishable by life in prison
- Lewd and lascivious behavior — this is a generic term for a range of illegal sexual activity between adults and minors, including statutory rape; consent is not a defense, and the most serious charges can be punished by life in prison
- Seduction of a child via computer — each instance of using the Internet is a separate offense punishable by 5 years in prison; traveling any distance with the intent to commit an unlawful sex act with a minor after seduction is punishable by a prison term up to 15 years
- Possession of child pornography — each pornographic image represents a separate offense punishable by up to 5 years in prison
- Child abuse suffered years ago when the alleged victim was a child
- Failure to register as a sex offender — depending on the severity of the offense, a person convicted of any sex crime with a minor will need to register as a sex offender or sexual predator with multiple state agencies and local law enforcement offices
Despite the serious nature of these charges, they can be hard to prosecute and prove, and the state can take a long time before deciding the specific offense to charge you with. This can give you an excellent opportunity to work proactively with your defense attorney to keep your exposure to punishment to a minimum.
Can the Romeo and Juliet Law Relieve You of Registration Requirements?
If you have already been convicted of a sex crime involving a minor, you might be able to avoid the need to register as a sex offender. Under Florida's so-called "Romeo and Juliet" law, certain adults convicted of statutory rape with a person between 14 and 17 years of age can petition for relief from the registration requirements. The age difference between the offender and the minor can't be more than 4 years, and certain other restrictions apply as well. I can advise you about your eligibility for this benefit, and help ensure that your petition will be filed in the proper form and in the proper court.
For more information about my experience with the defense of sex crimes involving minors in the Tampa Bay Area, contact the Clearwater office of Joseph Montrone, Jr., P.A.
