Sex Crimes Lawyer in Birmingham, AL

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"I would recommend him to my friends and family without hesitation."

– Michael W

Following a sex crime accusation, it may seem like all hope is lost. Although the future may seem bleak, there are ways in which we can help you overcome your charges to avoid a life-altering conviction.

As experienced Alabama sex crime lawyers, we have represented countless clients throughout Birmingham, Columbiana, Montgomery, and the state of Alabama against all types of sex crime charges. Our Alabama criminal defense lawyers know what is involved in defending people against both state and federal sex crimes, and can make sure you have the tough, uncompromising defense you need throughout the criminal process!

Contact Alabama Criminal Lawyers today at (205) 981-2450 for a free consultation.

Alabama Sex Crimes we Handle

Sex crimes range from rape to child molestation, prostitution, and sexual abuse.

When facing these accusations, it is imperative that you have a strong defense attorney because even the hint of a sexual offense could ruin your reputation forever, even if you are proven innocent.

Our sex crimes defense lawyers have years of experience in this area of law and understand how to best protect those who have been arrested or charged.

Child Molestation

This includes any sexual contact or intercourse with a minor who is under the age of 12. This offense is taken extremely seriously in Alabama and if you are convicted, you could be left dealing with up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $60,000. Whether you were falsely accused or know that you have made a mistake, you need a strong representative on your side throughout every stage of your case.

Child Pornography

If you were accused of manufacturing, distributing, or possessing any form of sexually explicit material containing a child, you could be facing charges of child pornography. Any printed material or video which contains a child could constitute child pornography, even if the individual did not know that the individual was underage.

Date Rape

Every year, people are falsely accused of date rape. To ensure that you are not sent to prison for something that you did not do, you need to ensure that you have an aggressive defense attorney on your side. Many of these cases involve the alleged victim’s word and the alleged offender’s word against the other and it can be difficult to prove. In order to avoid a lifetime in prison, you should contact a Birmingham rape lawyer as soon as possible.

Exploitation

Sexual exploitation refers to the crime of persuading or forcing another into prostitution, child pornography, or sex trafficking. This crime is treated very seriously under Alabama law and it is crucial that you have an experienced lawyer on your side if you are facing these types of accusations. Whether the victim was an adult or a child, you could be put in prison for life.

Failure to Register

One of the penalties for a sex crime conviction is mandatory registration as a sex offender. If you fail to comply with the regulations surrounding the registry, you could be further punished. Once you have been released from jail or prison, you will have seven days in which to register. Not only that but every year, they have to re-register with the sheriff’s office.

Indecent Exposure

Indecent exposure is a misdemeanor crime that includes exposing oneself in a public place. This is usually done in order to cause offense to those around them or for their own sexual gratification. This could include public nudity or sexual acts with another person. You could be facing up to one year in jail as well as $6,000 in fines if you are found guilty.

Prostitution

Under Alabama law, the act of engaging in sexual activity with another in exchange for money or another commodity is known as prostitution. It does not matter if the individual is above the age of consent or engaged in the activities consensually, it could still be punished harshly. Whether you were accused of hiring a prostitute or working as a prostitute, please do not waste any time in getting in touch with my team.

Sex Offender Registration Violations

When a person is released from jail or prison after serving a sentence for a sex crime, they will have seven days in which to registry as a sex offender. Having to register as a sex offender brings with is certain stipulations and restrictions, such as limiting where you can live and where you can work.

Sexual Abuse

What is sexual abuse? Any unwanted sexual contact that is against the victim’s will could constitute sexual abuse. First-degree sexual abuse could result in up to 10 years in prison as well as $15,000 in fines. A conviction of second-degree sexual abuse could result in up to one year in county jail and $6,000 in fines.

Sodomy

Were you accused of sodomy? Under Alabama law, the crime of sodomy could result in up to 20 years in prison as well as $30,000 in fines. If the individual is accused of first-degree sodomy, the penalties could increase to up to life imprisonment and $60,000 in fines.

Solicitation of Minors

If you were accused of enticing a child under the age of 16 into having sexual intercourse, you could be facing charges of solicitation of minors. Those convicted of solicitation of minors could be left facing a conviction that includes $15,000 in fines, forfeiture of assets, and a permanent place on the sex offender registry.

Statutory Rape

When an adult engages in sexual intercourse with a minor under the age of consent, they could be accused of statutory rape. Even if the act was consensual and even within a romantic relationship, it could still be counted as rape.

What You Need to Know About Sex Crimes

Even if you have not been arrested yet, but suspect that you are under investigation for a sex crime, now is the time to start defending yourself. Who you choose to defend you can and will make all the difference in the outcome, so make sure that you choose wisely.

No matter where you are in Alabama, we can come to your assistance. Our sex crimes attorneys understand that these cases often rest on one person’s word against the other’s. Although it is always crucial that the victim is protected, sometimes the victim is the accused.

Penalties for Sex Crimes in Alabama

If you have been accused of a sex crime, your rights, future, and reputation are in jeopardy. Even people who are eventually cleared of their charges have a difficult time shedding the stigma attached to most sex crimes.

For people who are actually convicted of a sex crime, their life will never be the same again. Not only can they expect to face discrimination and ostracism once they have been released from prison, but they will also likely be sentenced to penalties that are unreasonably harsh for the crime at hand.

Common penalties for a sex crime conviction include:

  • Years, possibly decades in jail or prison
  • Heavy fines totaling thousands of dollars
  • Registration as a sex offender, possibly for life
  • Restrictions or limitations on where you may work or live
  • Loss of certain rights, such as the right to vote or the right to possess a weapon
  • Probation or parole
  • Civil forfeiture of property

The specific penalties will vary depending on the nature of the offense you were charged with. First of all, depending on whether the offense was a misdemeanor or a felony, you could be put in county jail or state prison for years. Not only that, but you could be facing thousands of dollars in fines.

As an example, the law allows for those convicted of child molestation to be fined up to $60,000. However, as life-changing as these penalties can be, the penalty with the most permanent consequences is placement on the sex offender registry. This public record will include the name, photograph, address, and details of the conviction.

Child molestation is charged as rape and is any type of sexual contact or sexual intercourse with a minor who is under the age of 12. If someone is accused of child molestation, they could be placed in prison for up to ten years as well as charged up to $60,000.

Another sex crime involves child pornography. This could be possession, dissemination, production, or selling child pornography. Anyone convicted of knowingly possessing any child pornography will be guilty of a Class C felony. The prison time for a Class C felony is a minimum of 1 year and 1 day and no more than 10 years.

Indecent exposure is a misdemeanor and is defined as exposing one’s genitals in public with the intention of offending those around them or for their own sexual gratification. Those convicted of indecent exposure could be facing up to a year in jail and a $6,000 fine.

In Alabama, it is not only illegal to engage in prostitution but to hire a prostitute as well. Any situations which include engaging in sexual activity for some type of compensation fall into the category of prostitution. As a Class A misdemeanor, the most serious type of misdemeanor, someone who is found guilty could be sent to jail for up to one year.

Statutory rape differs from child molestation in that even though the victim is under the age of consent, they are over the age of twelve. Another important element that sets statutory rape apart is that no force or violence has to be present.

The individuals involved could have been in a dating relationship and the minor may have given their consent to engage in sexual intercourse, but in the eyes of the law, they are not able to give consent.

In Alabama, this is a second-degree rape and a Class B felony. A Class B felony has a minimum prison sentence of 2 years but can increase to 20 years.

Sex Offender Registry

One of the results of a sex crime conviction is having to permanently register as a sex offender. Even after the individual has completed their sentence, they will always have to supply their address to the government so that members of the public can be aware of the sex offenders in the area.

Upon release from prison, they will have seven days in which to register with the sheriff’s office where they will be living. This will have to be repeated once a year within seven days of their birthday. If the person violates any of the terms of their registration, they could be subject to further charges.

For example, if they failed to update their address, lived in too close a proximity to a school, worked somewhere there was likely to be children or lived with a minor under the age of 12, they could be facing serious consequences. To avoid this, it is in your best interest to have a member of our team on your side.

Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late

The Time To Hire An Attorney Is Now.

Call us at 205-981-2450

An Aggressive Sex Crime Defense is Critical

If you or a loved one is facing accusations of a sexual offense, it can be difficult to know where to turn for help. However, as even the mere hint of an accusation can ruin an individual’s reputation, it is imperative that you have a strong Alabama sex crime lawyer through every stage of the criminal process.

We are honored to have become a member of The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100. The Top 100 is an invitation-only group of the premier trial lawyers from each state across the United States. These members have not only met the most stringent qualifications as trial lawyers, but they have stood up to the most vigorous multi-phase process which includes peer nominations and third-party research.

Membership into this prestigious organization is only extended to a select few of the most qualified lawyers from each state who have successfully demonstrated a superior level of leadership, influence, and reputation in the public’s eye. Each of the distinguished Top 100 members is recognized for possessing the knowledge, skill and experience and success held by only the finest attorneys in America.

From cases involving child molestation to sodomy to date rape to indecent exposure, please do not hesitate to get in touch with a sex crimes defense lawyer at Alabama Criminal Lawyers as soon as possible.

Are Your Facing Sex Crime Charges in Birmingham?

A sex crime is not a particular crime, but rather a broad range of crimes. One common type of sex crime is child pornography. This offense includes possession of child pornography, producing child pornography, or selling and distributing it.

Any sexually explicit photos or videos of a minor under the age of 18 could result in a conviction, even if the individual had no idea the subject of the photos was underage.

Another sexually-based offense that can inadvertently involve a minor is statutory rape. When an adult engages in sexual activity with a minor under the age of consent, it is viewed as statutory rape, even if the activity was consensual. It is not uncommon for a couple to be in a romantic relationship, but because of the age difference, one of the individuals could be put behind bars.

When an adult attempts to persuade or entice a minor who is under the age of consent to meet them in order to engage in sexual activity, the adult could be charged with solicitation of a minor. Even if the offense is never actually carried out, the mere attempt is enough to be charged.

The penalties for child solicitation could include up to 20 years in prison as well as $15,000 in fines, so it is important that you do everything in your power to defend yourself.

Another crime that involves life-altering penalties is sexual exploitation. When an individual employs or persuades someone to engage in sexual relations for their financial benefit, such as in sex trafficking, the individual could be facing felony charges and years in prison.

Prostitution can be part of sex trafficking or can be done on an individual basis. Under Alabama law, engaging in or soliciting sexual acts in exchange for money or another form of compensation is illegal. Again, even if the individuals never engage in sexual activity, the agreement is enough to garner a conviction.

Whether you were accused of hiring a prostitute, working as a prostitute, or causing another person to engage in prostitution, you need a strong attorney to act in your defense.

Another common type of sex crime is sexual abuse. First-degree sexual abuse occurs when a person forces another to engage in sexual activities and the penalties could include up to 10 years in prison.

Second-degree sexual abuse charges may be brought against a person who was accused of sexual abuse against a victim between the ages of 12 and 16.

Do Not Wait to Contact a Sex Crime Lawyer!

Whether you were accused of a sex crime, or for failure to register or a sex offender registration violation, your first step should be to contact a member of our firm.

With years of experience in defending those who have been accused of crimes they did not commit or who were treated unfairly by the system, you can rely on Alabama Criminal Lawyers to do whatever is necessary to protect your best interests. Our main goal is to get your charges reduced or completely dropped so that you can get your life back on track.

Contact Alabama Criminal Lawyers today at (205) 981-2450 for a free consultation.