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Pine Township Sex Crimes

Sex Crime Attorney Pine Township, PA

If you’ve been charged with a sex offense in Pine Township, turn to seasoned legal counsel for vigorous advocacy and tailored legal guidance. 

Contact SMT Legal for an initial case evaluation with a sex crimes defense lawyer serving Pine Township. We’ll explain how our firm will fight to protect your rights, reputation, and freedom from the potential consequences of an arrest or conviction for sex crimes.

Why Choose a Criminal Defense Lawyer from SMT Legal?

If sex charges put your freedom, reputation, and future at risk, choosing a legal advocate to defend you in a criminal prosecution may become one of the most critical decisions you can make. Turn to SMT Legal for experienced counsel from a criminal defense attorney because:

  • Our team has decades of combined experience representing clients in complex criminal cases.
  • We work as hard as necessary to fight for the best possible resolution under the circumstances of your case.
  • Our attorneys will carefully guide you through the criminal justice process and help you seek a positive outcome to your sex charges.

Types of Sex Offenses We Handle

At SMT Legal, our criminal defense attorneys have the knowledge, skills, and resources to defend the rights and interests of clients facing all kinds of sex charges under Pennsylvania law, including:

  • Rape: Pennsylvania defines rape as engaging in sexual intercourse with a person by force or threat of force, with an unconscious or intoxicated person, or a person who has a mental disability that renders them incapable of consent.
  • Statutory sexual assault: A person commits a statutory sexual assault when they engage in sexual intercourse with an individual under 16 to whom the person is not married, regardless of whether the individual consents to intercourse.
  • Involuntary deviate sexual intercourse: The crime of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse mirrors that of rape, except the offense involves engaging in deviate sexual intercourse, which Pennsylvania law defines as oral or anal intercourse or the penetration of genitals with a foreign object other than for legitimate medical, hygienic, or law enforcement purposes.
  • Sexual assault: A sexual assault occurs when a person engages in sexual intercourse or deviate sexual intercourse with an individual without that individual’s consent.
  • Aggravated indecent assault: Under Pennsylvania law, aggravated indecent assault occurs when a person engages in penetration of another individual’s genitals or anus with any part of the person’s body, other than for legitimate medical, hygienic, or law enforcement purposes, without the individual’s consent, through force or threat of force, or with a minor, an unconscious or intoxicated person, or a person with a mental disability.
  • Indecent assault: A person commits an indecent assault when they cause an individual to have indecent contact with the person or to come into contact with semen, urine, or feces for the purpose of arousing sexual desire.
  • Indecent exposure: An indecent exposure occurs when a person exposes their genitals in public or with other persons present under circumstances that the person knows or should know would likely offend or alarm other persons.
  • Unlawful dissemination of intimate image: The crime of unlawful dissemination of intimate image, popularly known as “revenge porn,” occurs when a person shares a visual or artificially generated depiction of an individual in the nude or engages in sexual conduct without that individual’s consent.
  • Sexual extortion: A person commits the offense of sexual extortion when they intentionally or knowingly coerce or cause an individual to engage in sexual conduct, simulated sexual conduct, or nudity, or make media depicting the individual engaged in sexual conduct/simulated sexual conduct or nudity.
  • Child pornography: Pennsylvania law prohibits the knowing possession and transmission of sexually explicit images, video, or other media of a minor.
  • Unlawful contact with a minor: In Pennsylvania, a person may commit the offense of unlawful contact with a minor when they intentionally contact a minor, a law enforcement officer acting in the course of their official duties who has assumed the identity of a minor, or an individual with direct contact with children for the purpose of engaging in sexual offenses.

Consequences of a Sex Conviction

A sex conviction in Pine Township can have various legal and personal consequences for a defendant. First, a conviction will result in a criminal sentence. Pennsylvania grades many sex crimes as felonies, which impose penalties that include years in prison. A sentence for a sex conviction can also include fines and restitution, which obligates a defendant to compensate their victim for financial losses caused by the crime (such as medical expenses).

Sex convictions can have other long-term consequences beyond a criminal sentence. For example, felony convictions may result in losing rights, such as firearm rights, or eligibility for certain government benefits. Sex convictions may also subject non-citizens to potential removal from the United States.

Defendants convicted of sex offenses will also have sex offender registration obligations, which require individuals with sex convictions to report to law enforcement periodically and promptly update their registration with changes in personal information, such as residence, contact information, or employment.

Defenses to Sex Charges

A person charged with a sex offense in Pine Township may have various legal or factual defenses to fight the prosecution’s case. Common defenses to sex charges include:

  • Consent: In many sex cases, a defendant may argue that the alleged victim validly consented to sexual intercourse or activity,
  • Lack of intent: A defendant can argue that the prosecution’s case fails to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant acted with the criminal intent required by the charged statute (such as acting intentionally or knowingly).
  • Mistaken identity: Defendants may challenge the reliability of a victim’s or witness’s identification by identifying issues affecting their perspective of the perpetrator or showing that police used an improperly suggestive identification procedure.
  • Alibi: A defendant may deny having committed the alleged sex crime by presenting alibi evidence, such as cell tower logs, surveillance footage, or eyewitness testimony, to prove they were elsewhere when the offense occurred.
  • Challenges to forensic evidence: When a case involves DNA or fingerprint evidence, defendants may contest the reliability of the prosecution’s forensic evidence by highlighting issues with testing or the handling of samples.
  • Challenges to the admissibility of prosecution evidence: A defendant may seek to exclude evidence obtained by police through a search or interrogation of the defendant by challenging the legality of that search or interrogation.

How Can an Attorney Help You Face Prosecution for a Sex Crime?

A sex crimes defense attorney from SMT Legal can help you protect your rights and reputation when charged with sex offenses in Pine Township by:

  • Independently investigating your charges to ensure you don’t have to rely solely on the prosecution’s evidence
  • Reviewing the facts of your case to identify possible defenses
  • Helping you make informed decisions throughout your case by explaining your charges and the potential outcomes and preparing you for what to expect in a criminal prosecution
  • Vigorously challenging the prosecution’s case, including seeking to exclude evidence or statements unlawfully obtained by police
  • Fighting for the best possible outcome in your case, even when that means taking your charges to court to contest the allegations or defend your innocence

Contact Our Firm Today for Experienced Legal Guidance and Advocacy

If you’ve been charged with a sex crime in Pine Township, you need highly experienced and dedicated legal counsel to defend your rights and interests. 

Contact SMT Legal today for a free, confidential consultation with our knowledgeable legal team to discuss how a sex crimes defense attorney serving Pine Township can help.

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