Child Sex Crimes Lawyer in Charlotte, NC

Child sex crimes in North Carolina carry some of the steepest penalties for state and federal felony charges. If you have been charged with a child sex crime, you face imprisonment, fines, and a permanent criminal label as a child sex offender.

A criminal lawyer will defend you with a customized strategy. You could have the charges against you dropped or reduced.

Randall & Stump, Criminal Defense Attorneys, understand how to defend the wrongfully accused. Have you been arrested for a sex crime involving a child? You have the right to defend yourself. Contact a respected child sex crimes attorney to discuss your case.

Get a free case evaluation. Call (980) 237-4579 today or use our online form.

You Deserve Someone on Your Side

Your life, freedom, and future are at risk when you face child sex crime charges. Your family and friends are also impacted because you literally could lose the right to work and live alongside the most important people in your life.

You may feel alone. But a criminal defense attorney can:

• Negotiate a plea bargain with the prosecution
• Request bail if you are currently in jail
• Look for errors and inconsistencies in your arrest or charging process
• Secure defense witnesses and expert testimony
• Create reasonable doubt during a trial

While past results do not guarantee future outcomes, we have an impressive history. You deserve a vigorous defense. The sooner you call, the sooner we may begin on your case.

North Carolina Child Sex Crimes

There are many different types of child sex crime charges. In North Carolina, some of the most common child sex offenses include:

• Sexual abuse of a child
• Child pornography
• Statutory rape
• Sexual exploitation of a minor
• Kidnapping of a minor
• Statutory sexual offense with a child
• Participation in of prostitution of a minor
• Solicitation of a minor
• Online solicitation of a minor
• Indecent liberties with a child
• Attempted child sex crimes

These are only a few of the different types of child sex crime charges you could be facing. Building an aggressive legal defense is the only way to fight for your freedom.

Child Sex Crime Penalties in North Carolina

The penalties of child sexually-based offenses are harsh in NC. There are different factors considered for child sex crime sentencing. Some of these include:

• Your prior criminal record, if any
• Age of the child
• Number of alleged offenses Whether you had physical contact with the minor
• Whether you are a part of a network of child predators

The type of crime you have been charged with will largely determine the penalties of a conviction. For example, in North Carolina, statutory rape is a Class B1 felony.

Depending on the age of the child, you could face 25 years to life imprisonment. If you were charged with possession of child pornography, you could be charged with a Class C felony. A Class C felony in North Carolina has a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. There are also many additional hardships that you could endure.

A Child Sex Crime Conviction Changes Your Life

With penalties, this severe, clearing your name of the charges against you has never been more critical. A child sex crime attorney could help you avoid these penalties by introducing doubt of your guilt throughout your trial.

In addition to prison, penalties for a child sex crime conviction include:

• Paying restitution to victims
• Paying fines
• Completing a drug or alcohol treatment program
• Registration as a sex offender
• Probation
• Parole
• Community service
• Driver’s license suspension
• Suspension or revocation of professional licenses

Consider the impact a conviction will have on the rest of your life and the lives of your loved ones:

• Damage to your professional reputation
• Damage to your reputation in general
• Damaged or strained relationships with family and friends
• Difficulty finding work
• Difficulty finding a place to live
• Unable to be around minors (including your children or other family members)
• Potential deportation or denial of citizenship
• Ineligibility for federal student loans and specific professional licenses or careers
• Suspension or termination of gun rights
• Ineligibility to vote or run for public office

A criminal defense lawyer may create enough doubt in the jury’s mind to have the charges against you reduced, dismissed, or render a verdict of “not guilty.”

Federal Child Sex Crime Convictions

Federal child sex offenses are far more severe than in North Carolina.

For example, if you were charged with federal online solicitation of a minor, you could spend as much as twenty years to life in prison. You could also be ordered to pay substantial fines and be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of your life.

Our federal child sex crime lawyers are prepared to examine the details of your case to determine which defense is the right one for your trial.

The North Carolina Sex Offender Registry

Anyone who has a “reportable conviction” must register as a sex offender in North Carolina. Some of the different types of convictions that could land you on the sex offender registry include:

• Kidnapping
• Abduction of a child
• Felonious restraint
• First-degree rape
• Rape of a child with an adult offender
• Sexual battery
• Attempted rape
• Statutory sexual offense of a victim under 15
• Sexual activity by a substitute parent or custodian
• Human trafficking
• Felony indecent exposure
• Promoting prostitution of a minor
• Indecent liberties with a student
• Aiding and abetting
• Peeking while loitering – peeping through a window or at a person without knowledge or permission

You must report and register as a sex offender within three days of your conviction. You will report in person to the sheriff of the county where you reside. If you move into North Carolina from another state and are required to register, you must do so within three days of your move.

When you register, the sheriff will collect several different pieces of information from you, including:

• Your proof of residency
• A current photograph of you
• Your fingerprints
• Your online identifiers
• Your identifying factors
• Your offense history
• Your driver’s license information
• Your employment information
• Your student information, where applicable

Most child sex crime convicts will be required to register as sex offenders for a minimum of 30 years. Sex offender registration after a conviction can make it difficult for you to get back to your life. A criminal defense lawyer who handles child sex crimes can help you evade conviction with a strong defense.

Defending Against Child Sex Charges in Charlotte, NC

The prosecuting attorney’s job is to prove beyond a “reasonable doubt” that you committed a sex crime against a minor.

Your defense attorney’s job is to cast enough doubt on this approach with an array of strategies, including:

• Entrapment
• Consent
• Lack of intent
• Lack of probable cause
• Police misconduct
• Mistake of fact
• Faulty lab equipment
• Faulty lab results
• Lack of forensic evidence

Arguing that you did not know the victim’s age is not a valid defense in North Carolina or federal court. Your lawyer will need to carefully investigate all elements of your case from start to finish to determine what your defense strategy should look like.