Sex Crime Cases Handled By The Hedding Law Firm
I don't think there is a typical sex crime. There are just everyday activities where people are touching other people or trying to have sex with people against their will. It's probably the general conduct that you see most of. But our firm handles all types of sex crimes.
A lot of what we're seeing is sexual batteries - Penal Code 288 PC, where somebody's touching a minor under the age of 18; I know a lot of sex cases where people agree to have sex, but one party is obviously under age, and then the issue becomes, should the party that's over the age of 18, do they know or should they reasonably know based on the circumstances that that person is under the age of 18, in which case they can be successfully prosecuted for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, which is another typical case that we see all the time.
Alcohol or Drugs Involved
In the LA criminal courts, a lot of rape cases are being filed, and a lot of it seems to center around people who are either drinking or using some drugs, and then the next thing you know, they wake up, and somehow, they think that someone has taken advantage of them or raped them. So, you've got a lot of date rape cases that are occurring — alcohol is involved, drugs are involved.
Also, we do see a lot of relatives inappropriately touching or having intercourse with their family members, and then these charges are filed.
That's a dire situation where the person is looking at prison time. But a lot of what I'm seeing is that these cases are being filed even months or even years after the incident happens, which is frustrating because it's hard to get witnesses in those cases because so much time has passed between the alleged conduct and the present day. So, trying to piece together a defense can be complex, but also trying to piece together a prosecution in those cases can be difficult as well.
Juvenile Sex Crimes
I've been doing this for twenty-five years and have handled thousands of sex-related matters. I do a lot of juvenile sex crimes as well. So, if you've got a sex crime or a loved one of yours has a sex crime, pick up the phone and give me a call. We'll talk about it. We'll figure out your version of events because a lot of times in these sex crime cases, the police are doing a one-sided investigation. They don't get all the facts and circumstances surrounding what happened, so they don't get any information about your potential defense.
They only talk to some of the witnesses in a case. A lot of time, some witnesses that could be beneficial for you in a sex crime case are never even spoken to. So, we have to get out and talk to them. Get their statements through an investigator. That way, we can start to put together a defense that could be successful in your sex crime case.
Child Pornography
Another common sex crime that we see, and it is under the umbrella of sex crime, is people looking at child porn online. That's handled very seriously by the prosecutors. Usually, you see the feds getting involved with that, except if there's a limited amount of images, the state government will get involved.
So, if you've got a sex crime matter and need assistance with it in one of the Los Angeles courthouses or even at the federal level, pick up the phone and give me a call. We can start laying the groundwork and a strategy to get you out of the criminal justice system as quickly as possible.
Related Content
