Arrested for a Sexual Offense: Get Legal Help

If you have been arrested and accused of a sexual offense, it is time to seek legal help immediately. The punishment, should you be convicted of a sexual offense, can include incarceration, fines and mandatory sexual offender registration.

What To Do Next

If you are in jail based on sexual offense charges, you need to act quickly to preserve your legal rights and gather relevant evidence in your case. An attorney can help you take the following steps to protect your freedom:

• Assess whether you have a viable defense or can prove your innocence by some other means. 
• Assess whether you have an alibi that proves your innocence because you could not have been at the scene of a crime if you were somewhere else and can prove it.
• Get the statements of any witnesses to the incident.
• Get the statements of any character witnesses who can attest to the fact that you are not the kind of person who would commit a sexual offense.
• Gather other evidence such as documents or expert testimony as is relevant in your case.
• In some sexual assault cases, you are allowed to present evidence regarding the alleged victims character. Find out if you can do this under the law, and gather any relevant evidence if it is allowed.

Sexual assault convictions carry a very serious punishment element that other offenses do not. Most sex offenders are required to register under mandatory reporting laws as a sex offender. This is made public knowledge via government offices and state run websites. Your picture may be put on display and your address may be posted so that your neighbors will be put on guard that you are a convicted sex offender if this requirement is part of a conviction against you for a sexual offense. That is why it is imperative that you get the best legal counsel possible to defend your case.

Getting Legal Help

If you have been arrested for a sexual offence, it is important for you to discuss your case with a good criminal defense attorney. An attorney can help you get the best deal possible given your case, the facts and evidence available. Your attorney will advise you of your legal rights and the best strategy to take. You have the right to make the decision whether to go to trial in your case or not; your attorney can only advise you of what he thinks is the best thing to do given the facts.