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Mount Lebanon Sex Crimes

Sex Crime Lawyer Mount Lebanon, PA

If you’ve been charged with sex charges in Mount Lebanon, you need experienced legal counsel to defend your rights, reputation, and freedom. 

Contact SMT Legal today for a free initial case evaluation with a sex crimes defense attorney serving Mount Lebanon, and let’s discuss your options for resolving your charges and protecting your good name.

Why Choose a Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer from SMT Legal?

Being charged with a sex crime can be both frightening and unsettling, and the consequences of conviction may be profound. However, you don’t have to face the criminal justice system alone. Experienced legal counsel can help you fight for a more favorable outcome to your charges. Turn to a criminal defense attorney with SMT Legal because:

 

  • Our lawyers have decades of combined legal experience in criminal law, allowing us to develop and pursue innovative strategies to help you navigate the challenges of a sex case.
  • We will dedicate ourselves to pursuing every avenue to help you secure the best possible resolution to your charges under the facts of the case.
  • Our firm provides personal attention and responsiveness to give you peace of mind, knowing you have a dedicated advocate in your corner as you face criminal prosecution.

Types of Sex Charges We Handle

At SMT Legal, our dedicated sex crimes defense lawyers advocate for the rights and reputation of clients facing prosecution in Mount Lebanon for sex-based offenses such as:

 

  • Rape: Pennsylvania law defines rape as engaging in sexual intercourse with another person through force, threat of force, or administration of intoxicating agents, with an unconscious person, or with a person whose mental incapacity renders them unable to provide consent.
  • Involuntary deviate sexual intercourse: An individual commits a crime if they engage in deviate sexual intercourse with a person through force, threat of force, or administration of intoxicating agents, with an unconscious person, with a person whose mental incapacity renders them unable to provide consent, or with a person under 16 when the perpetrator is four or more years older and not married to the person.
  • Sexual assault: In Pennsylvania, sex assault refers to any act of engaging in sexual intercourse with another person without their consent, when such act does not rise to the level of rape or involuntary deviate sexual intercourse.
  • Indecent assault: A person may commit an indecent assault if they have indecent contact with another individual, cause that individual to have indecent contact with someone, or cause the individual to have contact with seminal fluid, urine, or feces to arouse sexual desire.
  • Indecent exposure: An individual may commit the crime of indecent exposure if they expose their genitals in public or any other place with other people present, knowing such exposure would likely offend, annoy, or alarm those people.
  • Child pornography: Individuals may commit criminal offenses under state or federal law by possessing or distributing pornographic materials containing or depicting minors.
  • Unlawful contact with a minor: A person commits a crime if they intentionally contact a minor, a law enforcement officer posing as a minor during an official investigation, or a person with direct contact with children to engage in sex-based offenses or activities with a minor.

Defenses to Sex Charges

If you’ve been charged with a sex offense in Mount Lebanon, you may have various factual or legal defenses against the prosecution’s allegations. Common defense strategies to sex charges include:

 

  • Consent: In many sex cases, a defendant may claim that an alleged victim gave valid consent to sexual activity between the defendant and the victim.
  • Lack of intent: A defendant may seek to reduce or dismiss a sex charge by arguing that the evidence fails to prove they acted with the level of criminal intent required by the charged statute.
  • Mistaken identity/alibi: Defendants may deny having committed sex crimes by challenging a victim’s or eyewitness’s identification of the defendant as the perpetrator or offering alibi evidence to prove they were elsewhere when the alleged crime occurred.
  • Challenging the reliability of forensic evidence: When a sex offense case involves forensic evidence like DNA or fingerprints, a defendant may contest the reliability of the evidence by highlighting issues with the prosecution’s forensic testing or a break in the chain of custody of forensic samples.
  • Challenging the legality of police searches/interrogations: Defendants may fight sex charges by seeking to have evidence dismissed from the prosecution’s case, arguing that the police obtained physical evidence or statements through unlawful search or interrogation practices.

Consequences of a Sex Conviction in Mount Lebanon

A conviction for a sex offense can result in various short- and long-term consequences. First, a person convicted of a sex crime will receive a sentence that may include multiple penalties, such as probation for lesser sex crimes, incarceration for more serious crimes, and fines. Sentencing for sex crimes will depend on the grading of the offense, other sentencing provisions authorized by the criminal statute, and unique factors in the case, like the defendant’s criminal history.

 

Standard sentencing ranges for offenses include:

 

  • First-degree felony: Up to 20 years in prison and a potential fine of up to $25,000
  • Second-degree felony: Up to 10 years in prison and a potential fine of up to $25,000
  • Third-degree felony: Up to seven years in prison and a potential fine of up to $15,000
  • First-degree misdemeanor: Up to five years in prison and a potential fine of up to $10,000
  • Second-degree misdemeanor: Up to two years in prison and a potential fine of up to $5,000
  • Third-degree misdemeanor: Up to one year in prison or jail and a potential fine of up to $2,500

 

A conviction on sex charges can also lead to sex offender registration requirements after release from prison, which obligates offenders to report to law enforcement periodically and notify police of changes in their personal information. A person convicted of a sex offense will also receive a criminal record that can impose a social stigma that can make it challenging for an individual to reenter society after a conviction.

 

Avoiding the long-lasting consequences of a sex crime conviction in Mount Lebanon makes it critical to obtain experienced legal advice and advocacy to help you navigate your charges.

How Can a Criminal Defense Lawyer Help You Face Sex Charges?

A criminal defense attorney can help you pursue a resolution to your sex charges that allows you to get back to your life as soon as possible by:

 

  • Independently investigating your charges to obtain all available evidence to build a robust defense case
  • Helping you make informed decisions about how to resolve your charges by ensuring you understand the nature of your charges and the potential outcomes
  • Evaluating the evidence and circumstances in your case to identify potential legal strategies
  • Vigorously challenging the prosecution’s case at every opportunity
  • Fighting for the best possible outcome to your charges, even if that means taking your case to trial to fight the prosecution’s allegations and advocate your innocence

Contact Our Firm Today to Discuss Your Legal Options

Charged with a sex offense in Mount Lebanon? Don’t wait to seek dedicated legal representation to defend your rights and interests. 

Contact SMT Legal today for a free, no-obligation consultation to learn how our legal team can help you pursue a favorable outcome to your charges.

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