Atlanta’s Most Successful Sex Crimes Lawyers
If you have been charged with sexual assault, statutory rape, or other sexual offenses, you need legal advice from a criminal defense attorney urgently.
Georgia has some of the most severe sex crime laws in the U.S. Few sex crimes are misdemeanors, and most of them have harsh mandatory minimum prison sentences. Beyond a prison sentence that stretches potentially decades (or life imprisonment), a conviction means you will also be required to register as a sex offender. Being on the convicted sex offender registry prevents you from living or working within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, and other places where children congregate.
Contact our Atlanta sex crimes lawyers as soon as you know that someone is accusing you of a sex crime. You can start with a free consultation, and we’ll review your case and help you understand how we can use our skills and experience to fight the charges against you.
You may want to know more about the charges you’re facing while you’re waiting to hear from your sex crimes attorney. While the information below does not constitute legal advice, it may give you a better understanding of what to expect. You’ll learn what to do first when accused of sex crimes in the state of Georgia, find out what offenses are considered sex crimes, and get answers to common questions.
What Do I Do When Accused of Sex Offenses in Georgia?
When you have been accused of sex offenses in Georgia, your first act should be to contact an attorney to represent you. This is the best course of action in all circumstances.
The earliest actions you take after you have been accused of a sex crime can have a major impact on how the rest of your case plays out. You’ll likely feel driven to protect your reputation by reporting your side of events to the police as soon as possible. You may even think that staying silent makes you look guilty.
However, speaking to police before you’ve spoken to a lawyer will not help you clarify your innocence. You may be shocked by the tactics that police can legally use during interrogations. They are allowed to lie to you and may be more interested in getting you to say something that sounds incriminating than listening to what you have to say.
By hiring one of our lawyers first, you can be represented when you are being questioned. A lawyer will be able to tell you what questions you should answer and what questions you are not required to answer.
While waiting to hear back from our criminal defense lawyers, you should not discuss any incident related to your accusations or charges with anyone.
How do you fight sex crime charges in Georgia?
Our law office has extensive experience with Georgia sex crime cases. Fighting these cases often requires aggressive strategies. Sex crime defense lawyers often focus on the quality and validity of the evidence. They may highlight illegal behavior by law enforcement or challenge the credibility of witnesses.
The appropriate defense will depend on the charges you face and other factors, such as whether this is your first offense. Contact our offices for a consultation if you want more accurate information about facing your charges.
Common Types of Sex Crimes Charges
Most sex crime charges are serious, but you may not understand what all types of charges mean. Below, you can find a more complete explanation of various sex crime charges that are commonly leveled in Georgia. The descriptions below do not constitute legal advice.
Internet Sex Crimes
Internet sex crimes often involve online communication with tools such as Facebook, MySpace, Craigslist, chat rooms, e-mail, and more. Examples of Internet sex crimes include:
- Child pornography
- Sexual exploitation of a minor
- Sexually explicit emails sent to a minor
- Texts containing pornographic images of a minor
- Using the Internet to arrange a sexual meeting with a minor
Rape
There is no uncertainty about the definition of this offense, though the prosecution can rely on different ways of proving “lack of consent.” Generally, a defendant is guilty of rape if he (almost always a man) forcibly has sexual intercourse with the victim without her consent.
Frequently, rape charges are brought against a man who has sexual intercourse with a woman who is too drunk to consent, asleep, or otherwise mentally incapable of giving consent. Rape is punishable by a mandatory sentence of 25 years in prison without the possibility of parole. The prosecution must prove that the defendant knew the victim did not consent (or was incapable of consenting). In other words, one cannot commit the offense of rape accidentally or without the intent to commit the crime.
Child Molestation
Virtually any sexual contact with a child under the age of 16 may be prosecuted as child molestation. The defendant must commit the act with the intent to satisfy his own or the child’s sexual urge. This “intent” is what distinguishes child molestation from bathing a child.
Child Pornography
Any picture that depicts a child under the age of 18 constitutes child pornography if the picture depicts the exposed genitals or breasts and involves sexually explicit nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sadomasochistic abuse that is intended to arouse or satisfy the sexual desire of either the child or the person.
FAQs About Sex Crimes
Is there a statute of limitations for sex crimes in Georgia?
Many sexual offenses have a seven-year statute of limitations in Georgia. This limit applies to many of the most common offenses, including statutory rape and aggravated sexual battery. In most cases, the time limit begins when the offense is committed. However, for many crimes against children, the limit does not start until the crime is discovered.
What is the difference between rape and sexual assault?
Rape and sexual assault are often seen as equivalent by the general public, but they mean different things to the law. Rape is covered by Georgia law O.C.G.A. § 16-6-1. This law makes it a felony to engage in forcible carnal knowledge.
There are some sex crimes that require the perpetrator to have some kind of authority over the victim when engaging in sexual contact with them. Professionals in positions of authority and trust, such as law enforcement officers, teachers, and psychologists, are examples of positions that could be abused for sexual assault.
