St. Petersburg Sex Crimes Lawyer

Having any type of criminal record usually imposes restrictions on your options in life; but sex crimes are unique in their ability to destroy lives, because of the revulsion with which society views a convicted sex offender. If you have been accused, you need a strong advocate as a sex crimes lawyer to help you. The severity of a charge deems for an experienced St. Petersburg sex crimes lawyer to build a defense case.

If you are convicted as a sex offender in Florida, when you’re released, you will be required to register his address with the state sex offender registry. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) will make that information available to the general public on their website, and will include a photo of you so you can be easily identified.

Everyone will know of your conviction, and if a sexual offense occurs anywhere nearby, you will be among the first to be questioned. Your conviction will usually follow you for the remainder of your life, making it hard to get any job, and impossible to get a job involving children. No one will want to rent to you, and if you do find housing, your neighbors may object to having you live near them.

They might even put posters around the neighborhood with your name, address, and photo to warn others of your presence in the area.

And that’s if you’re lucky enough to be released at the end of your prison sentence. You could be held in civil commitment and not be able to regain your freedom, despite having served your time. It’s the punishment that keeps on punishing.

Now add to that the fact that because sex crimes are seldom witnessed and physical evidence is frequently lacking, there is more potential for a conviction resulting from a false accusation. At the first whisper that you may be accused of a sexual offense, call the best sex crimes lawyer in St. Petersburg. You can’t make a better choice than attorney Will Hanlon when your entire future is on the line.

The three main categories of sex crimes in Florida are:

• Lewd or lascivious acts, which are sex offenses in which the victim is younger than 16.
• Sexual battery (rape), which is any non-consensual sexual activity that is forced or coerced, or in which the victim was incapacitated.
• Unlawful sex with minors (statutory rape) is when a person age 24 years or older engages in consensual sex with a minor (age 17 or under).

Each category has possible defenses, depending on the circumstances of the case. Your attorney will determine the most effective defense available to you, given the facts of your situation.

St. Petersburg criminal defense attorney Will Hanlon has the experience, knowledge, skill, focus, and commitment to ensuring that every defendant who hires him, regardless of the nature of the charges, receives the full protection of the rights guaranteed by the US Constitution. You are entitled to the best available defense, the presumption of innocence, and proper police procedure.

Potential defenses to sex crime allegations include the following:

• You are innocent and can prove that you could not have committed the crime because you were elsewhere at the time it occurred.
• The accusing party, if he or she is old enough, consented to sex.
• You had a mental disease or defect and consequently were not responsible for your act.

If you are his client, you can count on Hanlon Law to protect your rights at every stage and to treat you with the dignity and respect that you deserve as he fights for your freedom.

Any delay in retaining a top-rated sex crimes lawyer in St. Petersburg could potentially harm your case. Call Will Hanlon without delay if you have been arrested or even questioned by police. Will has received the highest possible AVVO rating—10 (superb)—, based on an independent analysis of an attorney’s years in practice, professional achievements, disciplinary history, and industry recognition.

He has been successfully defending the accused against criminal allegations in St. Petersburg and the Central Gulf Coast region of Florida for twenty-five years. Don’t take a chance on your future. Call Will Hanlon today.

• Child Pornography Charges
• Exposure Of Sexual Organs
• Federal Child Pornography Charges
• Federal Sex Crimes
• Lewd and Lascivious Battery
• Lewd and Lascivious Conduct
• Lewd and Lascivious Exhibition
• Lewd and Lascivious Molestation
• Prostitution Charges
• Registration as a Sex Offender or Sexual Predator
• Removal of the Requirement to Register as a Sexual Offender or Sexual Predator in Special Circumstances
• Sexual Battery
• Sexual Cyber Harassment
• Statutory Rape Charges
• Traveling To Meet A Minor
• Unnatural Or Lascivious Act Charges

The crime rate in St. Petersburg, Florida is considered high relative to other cities in Florida. In one year, 122 incidents of rape were reported in St. Petersburg. As of 2017, there are about 850 registered sex offenders or sexual predators in the city. There are exceptionally high stakes involved when you are charged with a sex crime. It is important to retain a St. Petersburg sex crime lawyer who will examine every aspect of the case to determine an appropriate defense strategy. Evidence that must be examined includes any DNA rape kits, identification procedures, inconsistent testimony, victim credibility, motivations to fabricate evidence, and procedural or constitutional violations. At Hanlon Law, St. Petersburg criminal attorney Will Hanlon is dedicated to protecting the rights of the accused.

Many sex crimes involve an element of force, coercion, or lack of capacity. A prosecutor can establish rape by showing beyond a reasonable doubt non-consensual vaginal, anal, or oral penetration or union of someone else, using either an object or a sex organ. Moreover, aggravated sexual battery can be charged if the prosecutor establishes rape beyond a reasonable doubt and also establishes an aggravating circumstance beyond a reasonable doubt. Aggravating circumstances include the victim being physically unable to resist, coercion through a credible threat of force or violence likely to result in serious injuries, coercion through credible threats or retaliation, the victim having a known mental defect, the victim being drugged and therefore incapacitated at the time, physical incapacitation, and the perpetrator being a law enforcement or correctional officer or otherwise a person who is under control as an agent or employee of the government.

Anybody convicted of sexual battery is designated as a sex offender and must register as such for the rest of their lives. The nature of the penalties depends on the nature of the crime, the victim's age, the defendant's age, and whether there are any aggravating circumstances present. To minimize or avert the consequences, you should consult a knowledgeable sex crime attorney in the St. Petersburg area. Rape is usually a second-degree felony, for which you may face up to 15 years’ imprisonment, 15 years’ probation, and a maximum of $10,000 in fines. When you are charged with aggravated sexual battery, you are charged with a first-degree crime, which carries greater penalties.

You will also be required to register as a sex offender after a rape conviction. You will not be able to petition for removal from registration laws when a crime involves non-consensual sexual interaction. For example, if the prosecutor is able to prove that you tied up the victim and held a gun to her head and had sex with her, the punishment is likely to be significantly more than if the prosecutor is only able to prove that you were on a date with the victim, and the victim said no, but you continued to have sex with her.

The penalties for sex crimes against a child are also severe. A St. Petersburg sex crime attorney can explain the specific consequences that you may face. Sexual battery against a child can be charged in multiple ways, but it essentially involves a claim that someone has had vaginal, oral, or anal contact with a child who was age 12 or under. If there was aggravated rape against someone who was 12-18 years old, it is considered a life felony. The mandatory minimum sentence is 108 months in prison, along with a maximum of life in prison or on sex offender probation, as well as up to $10,000 in fines.

Other sex crimes include lewd and lascivious offenses (including molestation of a child or exhibition involving a minor), Internet crimes like child pornography, and prostitution. What must be proven in each case varies, and the appropriate defenses to raise also vary with the facts and charges at hand.

If you are charged with a sex crime, you should consult us. Our founder, Will Hanlon, has been providing criminal defense representation since 1994. We are dedicated to guarding the rights of the accused. You can call Hanlon Law at 727.289.0222 or complete our online contact form.