Stafford County Sex Crimes Lawyer
Sex crime charges are generally some of the most intimidating charges a person can face because the penalties for them can be quite severe both in and out of court. There is a potential for the consequences of the social stigma associated with sex crimes to follow you if anyone finds out you were charged and potentially convicted of a sex crime. Negative opinions can certainly be formed against you.
Further, in the case that a person is convicted of a sex crime, under most circumstances, that person will be required to participate in the sex offender registry database. This database is publicly accessible and searchable by address or zip code and will identify anyone in that area who has been convicted of any sex crime that requires registration. Therefore, it is possible your neighbors, co-workers, and people in your community will be aware of the crime of which you were convicted and this crime could follow you for the rest of your life.
As a result of this impact, anyone accused of this type of offense should consult with an experienced Stafford County sex crimes attorney who has experience in a variety of cases involving sex crimes. These kinds of crimes require a certain sensitivity and an experienced attorney who has been through a variety of sex crime cases will know how best to prepare a defense in your case.
Sex Crimes Classification
There are a variety of charges that fall under the classification of a sex crime. This can range from sexual assault or sexual battery to rape, object sexual penetration, crimes involving minors, and many other offenses. Any crime that has been charged that involves intercourse or the suggestion thereof or attempts thereof can be considered a sex crime.
Some of the sex crimes commonly seen in Stafford County include crimes that could be considered with a felony charge, such as rape. There are a variety of cases involving minors, particularly those which involve the possession of child pornography. Child pornography cases are common in Stafford County and they are prosecuted vigorously, and the help of a Stafford County sex crimes lawyer is essential in these cases.
Investigation and Evidence
An investigation in a sex crime case depends on the nature of the charges. The majority of sex crime cases that involve an actual contact between two people are limited to evidence provided by the victim and any statements made by the accused. It is possible there could be other types of evidence the police can uncover during the course of an investigation, such as physical evidence of a rape that might have taken place or some other sexual assault that might have taken place.
The vast majority of these kinds of cases are limited to what is often referred to as a “he said, she said” situation, meaning one party says one thing happened and the other party says nothing happened in a particular set of circumstances. These cases are set apart from others in that with most other criminal cases, there are extrinsic pieces of evidence outside of the pure testimony of the alleged victim.
Role of a Stafford County Sex Crimes Attorney
If you are facing sex crimes charges, a dedicated sex crimes lawyer in Stafford County’s primary responsibility will be to investigate your case to determine what the evidence is going to look like if the case goes to trial. Once they have established what the evidence is going to look like, then their role is to build the defense based upon that evidence. An attorney will always work to find the best available outcome for you.
Sex crime cases typically consist of highly emotionally charged evidence and testimony. For that reason, you need to have an attorney on your side well-versed in how to manage those situations. The first thing an attorney has to do is understand you are going to be justifiably nervous ahead of the process. For that reason, the attorney’s job is to not only mount a successful defense but also ensure you are fully understanding the nature and consequences of the charges against them. A Stafford County sex crimes attorney will make sure you understand everything that is going on, procedurally and legally.