Collin County Sex Crime Defense Lawyer

People are wrongly accused of committing sex crimes every day in Collin County. Prosecutors are people and sometimes they get it wrong. Call our Collin County Sex Crimes Lawyer at 214-661-1699 today. The Edgett Law Firm is here to put more than 24 years of experience to work for you.

Unfortunately, sex crimes allegations can ruin your life even if you’re never convicted–and if you are convicted, you’ll face a potential lifetime of punishment. At the Edgett Law Firm we’re committed to building the most aggressive and effective defense strategy possible in your case. We will investigate thoroughly to find any exculpatory evidence that’s available.

To learn more about how our experienced Collin County criminal defense law firm can protect your rights, give us a call to schedule a free consultation today.

Why You Need An Experienced Collin County Sex Crime Defense Lawyer In Your Corner

Criminal accusations are supposed to be accompanied by a presumption of innocence. In sex crimes cases, that’s often not the case. Even if the prosecution’s case is based primarily on another person’s accusations, people might start to look at you differently.

At the Edgett Law Firm, our number one goal is to get the charges dropped or reduced. When you call our Collin County sex crime defense attorneys for legal advice, expect that we will:

Protect Your Rights

You may have been accused of a crime, but you still have rights. Police might violate your constitutional rights when building the state’s case. Often, people accused of crimes suffer because:

• You were denied your right to an attorney during the investigation
• You were the victim of an illegal search and seizure

It’s a common misbelief that your case can be thrown out if your rights were violated. In reality, the state can continue to prosecute. But your lawyer can file a motion to have statements and evidence excluded from consideration. That makes it much more difficult for the prosecutor to do their job–and could even lead to reduced or dropped charges.

Gather The Evidence

Law enforcement and the prosecution don’t always have the full story. Even though they investigate, they might miss things or minimize the importance of certain evidence.

At the Edgett Law Firm, we make sure we have all evidence that the prosecution is relying on. We also go out and conduct our own comprehensive investigation. We’ll work to preserve evidence that could potentially disappear over time.

We make sure that we base our defense on the big picture. Our attorneys will use the results of the investigation to negotiate with the prosecutors. This process is called plea bargaining, and might begin before or after you’ve been charged.

Depending on what we find, we’ll use our skills to get your charges dropped or reduced if possible. Discovering weakness in the prosecution’s case gives you the best chance of beating the charges. To learn more about our skills and experience, give us a call today.

Advocate For You At Trial

Criminal defense lawyers often want to resolve your case without going to trial. Accepting a plea can be your best choice. It’s not always the right choice, however, when you’re dealing with sex crimes in Texas.

Our criminal defense lawyers at the Edgett Law Firm are known for our success in the courtroom. We’ll never pressure you to accept a guilty plea. We start every case assuming that we’ll eventually argue before a judge and jury.

To learn more about how we will fiercely work to defend your rights, schedule a free consultation right away.

Overview Of The Sex Crimes Laws In Texas

Our experienced attorneys handle all types of sex crimes cases in Collin County. We’ll fight to help you through the complex legal issues involved in these cases. Call us today if you were accused of:

• Rape
• Indecency with a child
• Prostitution
• Promoting prostitution
• Child molestation
• Aggravated sexual assault
• Sexual assault of a child
• Child pornography
• Promotion of child pornography
• Public lewdness
• Indecent exposure
• Prohibited sexual contact
• Sexual performance by a child
• Criminal solicitation of a minor
• Continuous abuse of young children
• And more

Texas laws on sex crimes are detailed and contained in multiple chapters of the penal code. Here’s a brief overview of some of the charges the prosecution has at their disposal:

Sexual Assault

Sexual assault is the legal term for rape in Texas. Sexual assault can be aggravated to a more serious first-degree felony if aggravating factors are present and the prosecution can prove the basic elements of sexual assault, which include:

• Without the victim’s consent, the defendant penetrated the sex organs or anus of the victim by any means
• Without consent, the defendant penetrated the victim’s mouth with the defendant’s sex organ
• Causes a child’s sex organ to penetrate or come into contact with the mouth, anus, or sex organ of another person, including the defendant
• Causes the anus of a child to contact the mouth, anus, or sex organ of another person, including the defendant
• Causes the child’s mouth to contact the anus or sex organ of another person, including the defendant
• The defendant knew or intended to engage in the conduct alleged

The acts are considered “without consent” if the defendant uses physical force or coercion. Using the date rape drug or impairing the victim’s ability to consent can also be used to prove consent was lacking. Sexual assault is usually a second-degree felony.

Factors that could aggravate the charges include the use of a weapon or causing serious bodily injury.

Prostitution

The prosecution can convict on prostitution charges if it can be proven that:

• The defendant knowingly offered or agreed to engage in sexual contact in exchange for a fee
• The defendant knowingly offered or agreed to pay a fee to another person for the purpose of engaging in sexual contact with that person or someone else

Prostitution is a Class B misdemeanor but can be elevated in severity for repeat offenders. If the person is under the age of 18, the charges are much more serious and punishable as a second-degree felony. This is true even if the person is only represented to be under age 18–or if the prosecution can prove the defendant believed the person was younger than 18.

Child Molestation

Under Texas law, child molestation is any type of sexual abuse, sexual contact, or indecency with a child. This includes much more than the sexual assault of a child. Sexual touching of a child–even through clothing–is enough to convict. You could even be charged with sharing visual material depicting children in a sexual manner.

Section 21.11 of the Texas penal code defines indecency with a child under age 17 as:

• Engaging in sexual contact with the child or causing the child to engage in sexual contact or
• Exposing the person’s anus or any part of the person’s genitals, knowing the child is present, with intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person
• Causing the child to expose the child’s anus or any part of the child’s genitals with intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person

“Sexual contact” includes touching through clothing. Indecency with a child is usually a third or second-degree felony. If the child was under age 14 and the prosecution can show the contact happened more than once over time, charges of continuous sexual abuse of a child can lead to life in prison.

You Can Face Life-changing Penalties If Convicted Of A Sex Crime In Collin County, TX

Most sex crime convictions trigger the state’s sex offender registration rules. That means you’ll be required to register as a sex offender even once you’ve been released from prison. You’ll also likely be facing jail time, which can mean:

• 180 days in jail for a Class B misdemeanor
• One year in jail for a Class A misdemeanor
• Between 180 days and two years in prison for a state jail felony
• Between two and ten years in prison for a third-degree felony
• Between two and 20 years in prison for a second-degree felony
• Between five and 99 years in prison for a first-degree felony

You could also be subject to a mandatory minimum 25-year prison sentence if convicted of particularly serious sex crimes in Texas, like continuous sexual abuse of a young child.

Were you charged with any type of sexual offenses in Texas? Call to learn more about establishing an attorney-client relationship with an experienced sex crimes attorney who can help you beat the criminal charges.

Strong Defense Strategies Can Work To Beat Sex Crimes Charges

False allegations play a huge role in many sex crime cases. Prosecutors often build their cases around statements from witnesses and the victim–who might be under extreme pressure to keep their stories straight. This creates a system where people are sometimes convicted because of a lie or because they look like someone who committed the crime.

At the Edgett Law Firm, we’ll work to find out.  Challenging witness credibility can weaken the prosecution’s case to the point where they are unable to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. Potentially viable defense strategies might also include:

• Your constitutional rights were violated
• Alibi evidence
• Mistaken identity
• Mental illness
• Insufficient evidence

In some cases, the prosecution simply doesn’t have enough evidence to prove their case. You need an experienced lawyer who can negotiate before trial to make that clear–and who knows how to convince a jury at trial.

Call An Experienced Collin County Sex Crimes Lawyer Who Will Aggressively Defend Your Rights

At the Edgett Law Firm, we know how to use the evidence to uncover any weakness in the prosecution’s case. We’ll fight to protect your rights at every turn if you’ve been charged with a sex crime.

Give us a call today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Collin County sex crime defense lawyer to learn more about how we can defend your rights. We serve clients across North Texas, including in Denton County, Dallas County, and the surrounding areas.