Were you or a loved one charged with a sex crime? Read these Sex Crime Tips and contact a San Antonio sex crime lawyer at Rush & Gransee.
Failure to Register as a Sex Offender
In Texas, failing to register as a sex offender, in all cases, will be a felony. The degree of felony will depend on what the underlying offense was that made you have to register. For instance, if you’re registering because you’ve been charged and convicted for a second indecent exposure, that’s the lowest type of offense for which you have to register. For that, it’s a state jail felony. If you are registering because of possession of child pornography, or you’re registering because of some sort of sexual assault, in those cases it’s a much higher degree offense.
In all cases, it’s a felony and you need to take that seriously. I’ve been able to resolve those cases with a dismissal, just because the person made a mistake like they reported late, or they didn’t understand the reporting requirements. Even though you may have technically committed the offense, in some cases the prosecutor will give someone some leeway if, in fact, there’s an explanation for not reporting.
Sex Offenders’ Residency Restrictions
If you are charged and convicted of a sex offense that requires registration as a sex offender, a lot of restrictions will immediately happen. They’ll affect where you can live, where you can socialize, and where you can travel. The traveling is a problem because if you travel and you’re away for a sufficient amount of time, you have to go to that particular police station and register. They’ll say you can’t live within a certain number of feet of a school and you can’t live within a certain number of feet of where children congregate. For that reason, we really try to avoid any offense where you have to register as a sex offender.
Arrested for Soliciting a Prostitute
Hiring a prostitute in Texas is a Class B misdemeanor, so it’s not a high-level crime. However, it has ramifications because of the sexual nature and overall sense of the community. In most of those cases, there are friends, family, and spouses, that could be affected with a charge and with any conviction. It’s important in these cases to handle it discreetly. You want to get a good result including dismissal, or pretrial diversion to get you out of the criminal system. Because it is a Class B misdemeanor, it’s handled by the lower level prosecutors, and I think there’s a decent chance that you will be able to resolve the case in your favor.
Were you or a loved one charged with a sex crime? Read these Sex Crime Tips and contact a San Antonio sex crime lawyer at Rush & Gransee today for a consultation on your case and all of your potential defenses. Let our experience work for you.