3 Things You Should NOT Do After Being Charged With a Sex Crime
If you’ve been charged with a sex crime, it can be the beginning of a nightmare that not only drastically alters your life but follows you forever wherever you go. If convicted, you could lose your job, your home, your family and friends, even your freedom.
Whether you perpetrated the crime you’re accused of or you are innocent, you shouldn’t even consider facing the charges without representation by the best criminal defense attorney possible. There are more than 20,000 people listed on the Pennsylvania sex offender registry. You don’t want to be one of them.
Allegheny Attorneys at Law has been providing aggressive criminal defense to clients in Pittsburgh and surrounding Pennsylvania communities who have been charged with a sex crime. If you have been charged, call my office right away.
Overview of Sex Crimes in Pennsylvania
A sex crime in general involves illegal or coerced sexual conduct against another individual.
Pennsylvania law categorizes several types of sex crimes, including rape, sexual assault, statutory sexual assault, indecent assault, aggravated indecent assault, involuntary deviant sexual intercourse, and more. All the crimes share the traits of force, lack of consent, inability to consent, and indecent behavior.
Penalties for sex crime convictions depend on the severity of the crime, the age and disability of the victim, and the power the perpetrator holds over the victim. Convictions range from 10 years to life in prison and fines up to $25,000.
Things NOT To Do After Being Charged With a Sex Crime
There are 3 key things you should not do after being charged with a sex crime:
DO NOT use social media. Do not post anything on social media after you have been charged. And do not use private messaging features to contact anyone for any reason. Those messages are not truly private and can be accessed by the prosecution.
DO NOT talk to the police without an attorney present. Law enforcement will pretend they are on your side in an attempt to get you to talk about what happened between you and the alleged victim. Anything you say can and will be used against you in court.
DO NOT, under any circumstances, attempt to contact the alleged victim, or any of their friends, family, co-workers, or anyone else in their circle using any form of communication. What you say to the alleged victim or anyone else can be used against you in court.
Do not talk to anyone about the circumstances that led to you being charged with a sex crime until you have consulted and received advice and direction from qualified criminal defense attorney experienced with defending clients charged with sex crimes. Remaining silent is the best thing you can do.
Contact Allegheny Attorneys at Law
Sex crimes are some of the worst crimes you can be charged with. Due to the nature of these crimes, law enforcement and prosecuting attorneys can be extremely aggressive, and penalties can be severe.
If you have committed a sex crime and have not yet been charged, keep in mind that in Pennsylvania, there is no statute of limitations for rape, sexual assault, and sex trafficking of someone under the age of 18. For rape and sexual assault of someone age 18 or older, there is a statute of limitations of 12 years. That’s a very long time.
Don’t wait to contact an attorney. Whether you are guilty of a sex crime or innocent, you need sound, experienced legal counsel. Do not consider representing yourself, because a conviction will destroy your life.
At Allegheny Attorneys at Law, I have represented clients arrested for sex crimes in Pittsburgh, Fox Chapel, Penn Hills, Aspinwall, Oakmont Borough, and Shaler, Ross, O’Hara, and Indiana Townships in Pennsylvania. I have provided experienced and aggressive representation to match the way sex crimes are prosecuted.
If you have been charged with a sex crime, call my office right away.