Have prosecutors charged you with a sex crime in Franklin Park? Facing prosecution for a sex offense can have a devastating effect on your reputation, and you may worry about the consequences of an arrest or conviction on your freedom and future.
Let an experienced sex crimes defense lawyer from SMT Legal guide you through the criminal justice process and advocate for your rights and interests. Contact our firm today for a free initial case evaluation to discuss your charges and learn how we will fight to protect your rights and reputation as you face prosecution for a sex crime.
Sex charges can jeopardize your reputation and future, making your choice of legal representation one of the most important decisions you may make in your criminal case. For years, people facing prosecution for sex crimes have trusted SMT Legal to advocate for their rights and interests because:
At SMT Legal, our sex crimes defense lawyers can help you defend your rights and reputation against charges such as:
18 Pa. Code §3121 and §3123 make it a crime for a person to engage in sexual intercourse or deviate sexual intercourse with a person through force or threat of force or with an unconscious, incapacitated, or mentally impaired person incapable of resisting or providing consent.
18 Pa. Code §3124.1 makes it a second-degree felony to engage in sexual intercourse with a person without their consent. Sexual assault constitutes a lesser-included offense of rape/involuntary deviate sexual intercourse.
Under 18 Pa. Code §3126, a person commits the offense of indecent assault if they have indecent contact with a victim or cause the victim to contact seminal fluid, urine, or feces to arouse sexual desire without the victim’s consent or by force or threat of force.
18 Pa. Code §3127 defines indecent exposure as exposing their genitals in a public place or any other place with other persons present when the offender knows or should know their conduct would likely offend, affront, or alarm such persons.
18 Pa. Code §6318 makes it a crime for a person to intentionally contact a minor or a law enforcement officer who has assumed the identity of a minor to engage in sexual offenses, open lewdness, prostitution, sexual abuse, or sexual exploitation.
State and federal law make it a crime for a person to possess, distribute, or create visual images containing a minor or any part of a minor that depicts erotic nudity or sexual activity.
Under 18 Pa. Code §5902, a person commits prostitution if they live in a house of prostitution or engage in sexual activity as a business. A person also commits a crime by hiring a prostitute or any other person to engage in sexual activity with them for compensation.
Under 18 Pa. Code §5903, a person commits a crime by displaying explicit sexual materials in a place visible to the public or in a business or commercial establishment frequented by minors.
A conviction on sex charges in Franklin Park can have significant consequences for a defendant. A sex crime conviction will impose a sentence that may include jail/prison time and fines, with the length of an incarceration term or the amount of fines dependent on the nature and grading of the sex offense. The law grades many sex offenses as felonies, which may impose years in prison and thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in fines.
Most sex convictions also come with the requirement to register as a sex offender upon release from incarceration, with registration obligations lasting for years or a lifetime, depending on one’s offense. Sex offender registration obligations require offenders to report to law enforcement periodically and potentially have their information published on a public database.
Finally, a conviction for a sex crime will result in an offender having a criminal record that can follow an individual for years or decades. A record containing a sex conviction may disqualify individuals from specific employment opportunities and make it challenging to pursue housing or educational opportunities.
Given the life-altering consequences of a sex crime conviction, you can best protect your rights and future by speaking with a criminal defense attorney from SMT Legal after an arrest and indictment.
A person charged with a sex offense in Franklin Park may pursue various legal or factual defenses, depending on the facts of their case. Common defense strategies used in sex cases include:
Defendants facing various sex charges, such as rape or sexual assault, may assert that the alleged victim validly consented to sexual activity.
A defendant may argue that they did not intend to commit the charged offense, such as when a defendant downloads a file or takes possession of an electronic device that they discover contains child pornography or other illegal sexually explicit materials.
A defendant may challenge the reliability of a victim’s or eyewitness’s identification of the defendant as the perpetrator of the charged sexual offense or present an alibi to prove they were elsewhere when the offense occurred. Defendants may also present evidence to argue that another person committed the charged offense, such as someone using the defendant’s computer system or IP address.
Defendants may contest the reliability of the prosecution’s forensic evidence, such as fingerprint or DNA evidence, that purportedly identifies the defendant as the perpetrator.
A defendant may file a motion to exclude prosecution evidence by arguing that police investigators conducted an unlawful search or interrogation that violated the defendant’s rights.
After getting arrested and charged with a sex crime in Franklin Park, you need experienced, aggressive legal advocacy to defend your rights and reputation. Don’t leave the outcome of your criminal case to chance. Contact SMT Legal today for a free, confidential consultation with our attorneys to discuss your legal options for seeking a favorable resolution to your sex charges.
When the police have arrested and charged you with a sex crime in Franklin Park, talk to a dedicated criminal defense attorney at our office at 114 Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. To reach our office:
Take I-279 S toward Pittsburgh. Take Exit 2A for Fort Duquesne Blvd. Merge onto Fort Duquesne Blvd, then turn right onto Sixth Ave. Continue onto Smithfield Street. The destination will be on your right.
Take I-79 N and merge onto I-376 E toward Pittsburgh. Take Exit 71A for Grant St. Merge onto Grant St, then turn left onto Sixth Ave. Turn right onto Smithfield Street. The destination will be on your right.
Take I-376 W toward Pittsburgh. Take Exit 71A for Grant St. Merge onto Grant St, then turn left onto Sixth Ave. Turn right onto Smithfield Street. The destination will be on your right.
Take I-376 E toward Pittsburgh. Take Exit 69C for Stanwix St. Merge onto Fort Pitt Blvd, then turn left onto Stanwix St. Turn right onto Fourth Ave, then turn left onto Smithfield Street. The destination will be on your left.
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