Philadelphia Sex Crimes Lawyers

Philadelphia Sex Crimes Defense Attorney

You must take immediate action when accused of a sex crime in Philadelphia. A mere accusation of a sex crime can ruin your life, your reputation at home and work, and your future. 

Many of us do not know what qualifies as a Philadelphia ex crime, but the judging public does. Often, individuals are found guilty in a court of public opinion even with little evidence of their crime. 

This is unfair and unjust, and we can help fight back. If you are accused of a sex crime in Pennsylvania, such as rape, sexual assault, or sharing of child pornography, you need a Pennsylvania criminal defense lawyer on your side that will fight aggressively for you and your future. 

When the threat of prosecution for a sex crime is real, you need to look for the best options and find a top Philadelphia sex crimes legal team to fight for you. You need Justice for the Accused. 

Don’t go it alone. Contact us 24/7 at (215) 515-6111. Our main office is located at 1515 Market Street, Suite 1200, Philadelphia, PA 19102.

Fighting Back Against Sex Crime Charges in Pennsylvania

The moment you are accused of a sex crime in Pennsylvania is the moment that you need to reach out to an experienced Pennsylvania sex crimes defense attorney. Looking for the best options, strategies, and outcomes is only natural.

Choosing the best Pennsylvania sex crimes attorney is a personal decision. The best way to find the right attorney is to speak with them and decide for yourself. 

Before you call any other criminal defense law firm, contact our team. We are skilled criminal defense attorneys in Pennsylvania and are experienced in handling the most serious sexual and violent crime cases.

Types of Sex Crime Cases We Handle

Look to Lee Ciccarelli and his team of experienced, aggressive criminal defense lawyers to fight for you when it matters. Our team of Pennsylvania Sex Crime Defense Lawyers is skilled at investigating and attacking accusations of sexual offenses, including but not limited to:

It’s our endeavor and our passion to gain your trust and earn your respect. Our dedicated Pennsylvania criminal defense lawyers are determined, motivated, and self-disciplined toward the goal of fighting for your name and your liberty and disputing the sex crime allegations you face in Pennsylvania.

Rape

Rape allegations are severe. You could face a lengthy prison sentence and judgment from your family members, friends, neighbors, and co-workers—even if you are innocent. 

In Pennsylvania, rape is defined as sexual intercourse with another person using force or threats of force. It is also considered rape if: 

  • The alleged victim was unconscious or unaware sexual intercourse was occurring.
  • If the person’s power to control their own conduct was altered by another person giving them drugs without their knowledge
  • If the victim has a mental disability that renders them incapable of consent

Rape in Pennsylvania is a felony of the first degree with a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison. If you are found to have given the victim a drug like GHB to render them unable to resist, another ten years can be added to that sentence. 

Statutory Rape

It is illegal in Pennsylvania for a person 18 or older to have sex with a minor (a person younger than 16)—even if the sex is consensual. The laws are predicated on the assumption that children cannot give informed consent to sexual activities. 

Statutory rape penalties depend on the defendant’s age, the victim, and the specific conduct. 

Statutory rape includes genital, oral, or anal penetration with a child who is 13, 14, or 15. When the defendant is 4-10 years older than the victim, the crime is a second-degree felony, and when the defendant is at least 11 years older, the offense is a first-degree felony. 

A conviction of statutory sexual assault can result in up to 20 years in prison and/or a fine as large as $25,000. Rape of a minor younger than 13 is a first-degree felony with penalties of up to 40 years in prison and/or a fine as large as $25,000. 

Sexual Assault

Sexual assault in Pennsylvania involves engaging in sexual intercourse or deviant sexual intercourse with another person without that person’s consent. Sexual assault is a second-degree felony in the state and is punishable by up to ten years in state prison. 

  • Indecent Assault—Indecent contact with a victim can be charged as Indecent Assault. For Indecent Assault charges to apply, several (but not all) of the following factors must be present:
    • There was no consent from the victim.
    • Force was used in the assault.
    • The force could not have been resisted by another reasonable person in the same circumstances.
    • The victim was involuntarily intoxicated.
    • The victim was under the age of 13 or the age of 16, and the alleged offender was at least four years older (and the two were not married) 

Indecent assault may be charged as either a first or second-degree misdemeanor, depending on the facts of the case, with a potential of up to five years in state prison. 

Indecent Exposure

Indecent exposure in Pennsylvania occurs when a person exposes their genitals in a public place or where others are present, knowing the conduct is likely to offend, insult, or alarm another person. 

Indecent exposure is a second-degree misdemeanor that could result in 1-2 years in jail and fines up to $5,000 for a first offense. Indecent exposure is considered a sex crime, requiring those convicted of the crime to register as sex offenders.     

Kidnapping

Kidnapping is a first-degree felony, regardless of whether the victim is an adult or a minor. A first-degree felony can result in up to 20 years in prison and a fine as large as $25,000. Parental Kidnapping—also known as Interference with Custody of a Child—is a third-degree felony with a maximum penalty of up to 7 years in prison and fines as hefty as $15,000. 

If the defendant was not a parent or guardian, the crime is a second-degree felony with a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison and fines as large as $20,000. 

Crimes Against Children

Crimes against children can include:

  • Molestation
  • Unlawful Contact
  • Corruption of Minors
  • Luring a Child into a Vehicle
  • Endangering the Welfare of a Child
  • Sexual Exploitation of a Child
  • Incest

An individual convicted of raping a child can spend up to 40 years in prison. 

Child Pornography

Under Section 6312 of Title 18 in Pennsylvania, it is a crime to “photograph, videotape, or otherwise depict on a computer, sexual acts involving a minor under the age of 18. Intentional viewership and willful possession are also treated as crimes.” 

Viewership and dissemination as a first-time offense are treated as third-degree offenses, resulting in up to five years in prison. The punishment for subsequent crimes of viewership and dissemination is second-degree felonies, punishable by up to ten years in prison. 

What is Megan’s Law? 

Megan’s Law establishes “tiers” of sexual offenses, requiring registered sex offenders to report to an approved registration site regularly. The frequency of reporting will depend on the classification of the sex offenders. 

A transient offender with no permanent address must register at an approved site in person each and every month. A Sexually Violent Delinquent Child or Sexually Violent Predator must register individually every three months at an approved registration site. 

Offenders must report name changes, residency changes, phone number changes, and changes to employment immediately. Sexual offenders who refuse to comply with Megan’s Law could face first, second, or third-degree felonies. 

What Are the Consequences of a Philadelphia Sex Crime?

Pennsylvania Sex Crime conviction can result in prison time and extremely high fines. Your entire life and future can hang in the balance. Even if you are acquitted, you can still face lifelong consequences that can make it difficult for you to resume work, interact with the community, and maintain relationships. 

You may have been falsely accused of a sex crime and facing an uphill battle trying to prove your innocence. Unfortunately, innocence rarely matters regarding how you may be treated in your community, at work, and even by your own family members. Your reputation can be ruined with allegations of a sex crime, and it can be tough to rebuild that reputation. 

If you are convicted of a Pennsylvania sex crime, you may be required to register as a sex offender for fifteen years, twenty-five years, or for the remainder of your life. You may be unable to secure employment because of your conviction and may be prohibited from obtaining a government student loan or a professional license. You may even find that you are unable to rent an apartment. 

Both Megan’s Law and the Walsh Act set sex offender registration requirements for those convicted of sex crimes in Pennsylvania. Because of the severe consequences of a sex crime conviction, it is imperative that you speak to a highly knowledgeable Philadelphia sex crimes attorney as soon as you can following your arrest. The quicker your attorney can start investigating, the better outcome you can expect.  

What Are Some of the Most Common Sex Crimes Defenses?

An experienced Pennsylvania sex crimes attorney will gather all the evidence about your sex crime charges, then prepare a vigorous defense on your behalf. While your defense will depend on the specifics of your charges, some of the more common defense strategies for those charged with a sex crime include:

  • Actual innocence or mistaken identity—you may have an alibi that shows you were in another location when the crime occurred, or you may have been misidentified by a witness. Mistaken identity is common—many people do not have a good recall of specific details of a crime they saw. DNA evidence may establish innocence. 
  • Consent was given. If consent can be proven, then in most cases, a sex crime did not occur (except in the case of minors where consent is not at issue). 
  • No force or threat was used. If there was no force or threat of violence used, then your attorney may be able to use this defense for you (depending on the offense charged).

Don’t Go It Alone—Contact a Philadelphia Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer 

If you have been charged with a sex crime in Pennsylvania, it is important that you not face these charges alone. You must take your charges very seriously as the outcome can affect the remainder of your life. Hiring a criminal defense attorney who has extensive experience with sex crimes is your best course of action. Your sex crimes lawyer knows the laws related to sex crimes and may be able to negotiate a lesser charge or a lesser sentence. An experienced sex crimes defense attorney will be able to identify any holes in the prosecutor’s case and any errors made by police during the arrest or questioning. 

Getting the Help You Need for a Better Outcome

We are criminal defense lawyers that spend our time working for you. While making your choice of a Pennsylvania sex crimes defense lawyer, consider whether the lawyer is a solo practitioner, a general practitioner, or part of a team of experienced, aggressive criminal defense lawyers working together on your behalf to get the best results.  

Regarding trial and court experience, Justice for the Accused keeps our advocacy skills sharpened by logging over a thousand hours of court time every year. We use that court experience to work for the best outcomes for our criminal defense clients, including you. We are a team of Pennsylvania criminal defense lawyers made up of lifelong private defense lawyers and former prosecutors to get the results you need and expect.

Our Philadelphia criminal defense lawyers are working on your case so that you have the benefit of several attorneys, including Lee. We use our combined efforts and experience to get you the justice you and your family need. 

Get Justice. We are based at 1515 Market Street, Suite 1200, Philadelphia, PA 19102. Our Philadelphia Center City location is Two Penn Center Plaza, Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA.

When you have been accused of a sex offense in Philadelphia, you need justice, and you need a top criminal defense lawyer with years of experience winning the tough cases: contact the justice for the Accused Criminal defense team today. Contact us 24/7 at (215) 515-6111.