The Dayton internet sex crimes lawyers at Suhre & Associates DUI and Criminal Defense Lawyers, can help you fight for your rights and reputation if you are facing criminal charges. Internet sex crime allegations can have life altering consequences. You must act quickly to protect your future.
Suhre & Associates DUI and Criminal Defense Lawyers have helped many people like you fight sex crime cases successfully. Our experienced legal team has a proven process that leaves no stone unturned in building your defense.
If there are weaknesses or holes in the internet sex crimes case against you, our lawyers will find them. If your rights were violated, we will push back. Don’t let the State drag your name through the mud. Contact our Dayton, OH law firm or call us at (937) 531-0435 to arrange your free consultation. right away for your free initial consultation.
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How Can Suhre & Associates DUI and Criminal Defense Lawyers Help Me If I’m Charged With Internet Sex Crime in Dayton?
Suhre & Associates DUI and Criminal Defense Lawyers is exactly who you need in your corner. You need an attorney to help you avoid the worst consequences of your charges, which could include prison time, hefty fees, and sex offender registration. Our team of criminal defense lawyers are battle tested in the courtroom and will do everything in our power to get a favorable resolution in your case.
At Suhre & Associates DUI and Criminal Defense Lawyers, our Dayton criminal defense lawyers have over 100 years of combined experience. We know both sides of the law; our team includes award-winning criminal defense attorneys, former prosecutors, and former police officers.
When you hire Suhre & Associates DUI and Criminal Defense Lawyers to represent you we get started building your defense, which includes things, such as:
- Listening to your full side of the story
- Asserting your constitutional right to silence
- Dispatching our own investigators
- Filing motions to suppress evidence
- Negotiating for dismissal or reduction of charges
- Fighting your case at trial
You cannot risk your future by thinking your case will just go away. Once the government wants you, an aggressive criminal defense lawyer is the only thing that can stop them. Get in touch with us right away, so we can get started fighting for you. We offer free consultations.
What is An Internet Sex Crime in Dayton Ohio?
There are many different internet sex crimes on the books in Ohio. Internet sex crimes are typically felony charges.
Some of the internet sex crimes include:
- Importuning a Minor
- Pandering Sexually Oriented Material Involving a Minor or Impaired Person
- Using a Minor or Impaired Person in Sexually Oriented Material
- Voyeurism
- Commercial Sexual Exploitation of a Minor
The two most common internet sex crime charges are possession or viewing child pornography and solicitation of a minor. These two crimes have different names in Ohio. Possession or viewing of child pornography is prosecuted as “Pandering Sexually Oriented Matter Involving a Minor.” Solicitation of a minor is prosecuted as the crime “Importuning a Minor.”
Pandering (child pornography) charges can have different elements depending on whether the charge is for producing or distributing the material or for viewing the material.
The four elements of the crime pandering child pornography for viewing the material are:
- The defendant
- Knowingly
- Solicited, received, purchased, exchanged, possessed, or controlled
- Any material showing a minor engaging in sexual activity
Importuning (soliciting) a Minor also has elements that must be proven to a jury at trial for a conviction. The elements of solicitation of a minor include:
- The defendant
- Solicited to engage in sexual activity
- A minor aged (either less than 13) or (13-16 if the offender is over the age of 18)
The prosecutor uses evidence gathered by the police to prove each element of an internet sex crime. They may execute search warrants to seize your computer and then hack into it. They may also obtain a subpoena to get internet records from an internet service provider. The police will also try to get you to confess, regardless of your innocence.
At the end of the day, the police and prosecutors are not your friends. They are out for convictions. If you are being investigated, invoke your rights to silence and an attorney. Then call Suhre & Associates DUI and Criminal Defense Lawyers for help.
What Kind Of Penalties Am I Facing In An Internet Sex Crimes Case?
Internet sex crimes are almost always felonies. A felony is the most serious type of crime, as opposed to misdemeanor and citations, which are much less serious. Felonies in Ohio are defined as any crime for which the maximum penalty is at least one year in jail.
The punishment for each internet sex crime depends on certain factors, such as the victim’s age and the defendant’s prior record. These varying levels of punishment are called Felony Classifications.
The different classifications of felonies that typically apply to internet sex crimes include:
- Fifth Degree Felony (6 – 12 months jail)
- Fourth Degree Felony (6 – 18 months jail)
- Third Degree Felony (9 months – 3 years prison)
- Second Degree Felony (2 years – 8 years prison)
An experienced attorney from Suhre & Associates DUI and Criminal Defense Lawyers will need to review your case with you to determine what penalties you may be facing. In addition to jail terms, parole (post-conviction supervision) is typically on the table for internet sex crime convictions.
If you are arrested, you may be eligible for pretrial release. However, prosecutors usually ask the judge for onerous conditions of release. Conditions of bail, such as GPS monitoring, no contact orders, no use of internet devices, and cash bail may be required. Our attorneys are prepared to fight unnecessary restrictions placed on you as you await trial.
Will I Need to Register As A Sex Offender If I Am Convicted?
In the majority of cases, you will be required to register with the state as a sex offender and comply with the requirements of the program. Being placed on this registry can have serious collateral consequences, impacting your career, independence, and reputation.
Our team knows how stressful and embarrassing registering as a sex offender can be. That is why it is so important to fight your case tooth and nail from the very beginning. Our tenacious lawyers will aggressively defend you in court to prevent a conviction requiring sex offender registration.
If you are convicted, you will have a duty to register and comply with the requirements of the sex offender tier that you are classified in. The three tiers are:
- Tier 1: Must register with the sheriff for 15 years and notify if moving or changing jobs
- Tier 2: Must register with the sheriff for 25 years and check in every 180 days to provide updates
- Tier 3: Lifetime registration and check-ins with the sheriff every 90 days to provide updates
There are additional requirements of the sex offender registry that don’t appear on this list. Suhre & Associates DUI and Criminal Defense Lawyers knows the ins and outs of each classification of the sex offender registry, and can work with you to make sure you understand the duties of each classification.
The only way to avoid registering as a sex offender in Ohio is to beat the internet sex crime charges against you. Your future is far too important to try going it alone. Contact Suhre & Associates DUI and Criminal Defense Lawyers today for your free consultation.
What Defenses Are Available To Internet Sex Crime Charges?
Every case is different, so an experienced lawyer will need to develop a unique case strategy for you.
Some defenses that may be relevant to an internet sex crimes case include:
- Using computer forensics to show your computer was hacked
- The material was not child pornography
- Lack of a critical element of the crime, such as knowledge or intent
- The police violated your constitutional rights, so evidence must be thrown out
- The State cannot meet its burden of proof
- The entrapment defense
While you are technically innocent until proven guilty, prosecutors, police, and the jury will not treat you like it. This is the cold hard reality of our system.
That is why getting aggressive legal representation is crucial to put you back on the offensive against these allegations. We will hire technical experts, work with investigators, argue complex constitutional motions, and do everything we lawfully can for your defense.
Contact Our Dayton Internet Sex Crimes Lawyers For Help
The Dayton sex crimes lawyers at Suhre & Associates DUI and Criminal Defense Lawyers are passionate about fighting for the accused. If you are facing criminal charges or an investigation related to internet sex crimes, prostitution, sexual assault, rape or other crimes, contact our team right away for a free consultation. An aggressive defense lawyer is the only thing standing between you and the full weight of the government.