Richardson Child Sex Crimes Attorneys

Accusations of sexual misconduct involving a child can provoke strong reactions. The moment this type of claim is made, a parent, teacher, coach, or family member may find themselves cut off from their children, suspended from work, and investigated by police. Many of these cases involve misunderstandings or misinterpretations of events, and people who are facing accusations of child sex crimes will need to understand what steps they can take to defend against convictions.

The lawyers at Texas Defense Firm stand up for people in Richardson who are facing accusations of sex crimes involving minors. We know the investigative methods that are often used in these cases, the rules of evidence that may apply when a child is involved, and the issues that can arise when evidence is obtained from computers or phones. We offer steady guidance for clients during times when it may feel like everyone else has decided that they are guilty, and we will work tirelessly to protect their rights while defending against convictions.

How Child Sex Crime Investigations May Begin

Many child sex crime cases start with a report from a teacher, counselor, doctor, or relative. Professionals who work with children are required to report suspected abuse, and a comment from a child can quickly set an investigation in motion.

After a report, a child may be interviewed by a social worker or another official. The ways questions are asked can affect a young child's answers. Repeated or leading questions, or prior conversations with a parent, can shape what a child says.

Indecency With a Child

A person who has been accused of engaging in sexual contact with a child under the age of 17 or exposing their private parts to a child, or causing a child to expose themselves could be charged with indecency with a child. Sexual contact may include touching through clothing.

These charges may arise in situations that do not involve sexual contact but may be misinterpreted by others. Bathing a young child, wrestling or tickling, or helping a child change clothes could lead to accusations and criminal charges in some cases. Accusations may arise during divorces and custody battles when one parent claims that the other has engaged in sexual abuse.

Improper Relationships Between Educators and Students

School employees are held to strict standards when interacting with students. An employee of a school, including a teacher, coach, principal, administrator, or other official, may be charged with a felony offense if they have allegedly engaged in sexual contact with a student. Unlike some other sex offenses, an educator could face criminal charges even if a student was 18 years old and agreed to the relationship.

Allegations of improper relationships between educators and students may also involve online behavior. An educator may be accused of engaging in sexually explicit communications with a student through text messages, social media, or other messaging apps.

Online Solicitation of a Minor

Certain types of communications with minors could lead to criminal charges. Sending sexually explicit messages or images to a minor is a felony offense. Soliciting a minor to meet for sexual purposes can lead to even more serious charges.

Many cases involving accusations of online solicitation of a minor are based on police sting operations in which adult officers pose as teenagers on dating apps, in chat rooms, or on other websites or apps where adults may interact with children. The law focuses on what the accused person believed, so criminal charges may apply even if no real child was involved.

Our lawyers can carefully review chat history and other records of online activity. We may be able to show that a person did not know that they were interacting with a child or a person posing as a child or that entrapment occurred in which officers encouraged a person to commit illegal acts that they would not have done otherwise.

Child Pornography Charges

Some of the most serious child sex crimes are related to child pornography or child sexual abuse material (CSAM). A person may be accused of knowingly possessing, accessing, distributing, promoting, or creating visual materials that depict minors who are engaging in sexual conduct. The penalties for these offenses will often increase based on the number of images or videos a person allegedly possessed and whether they are accused of sharing CSAM.

Child pornography cases will often depend on computer forensics. Investigators may trace files through IP addresses or file sharing networks. However, even if they can show that files were downloaded to a specific computer or device, this may not prove that a person committed an offense. When several people have shared a home network, a laptop, or a phone, our lawyers may argue that a person did not knowingly possess the files. We can also address situations where files were downloaded automatically, hidden in bulk downloads, or placed on a device by malware.

Contact Our Richardson, Texas Child Sex Crimes Lawyers

Sex crime charges involving children can lead to long prison terms, sex offender registration, and damage to a person's career and family relationships. At Texas Defense Firm, our lawyers can work with clients to defend against these charges while ensuring that their rights are protected. Contact our Richardson, TX child sex crimes defense attorneys at 972-369-0577 to discuss your situation confidentially with our legal team in a free consultation.