Sex Crimes

Innocence: As with any other legal charge, innocence is always a valid defense. The burden of proof is on the prosecution. If they cannot prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, the case should be dismissed or you should be found not guilty

Consent: Another common defense in sex crimes cases is ‘consent’. With many sex crimes charges, a core element the prosecution must prove is that the defendant did not contain lacked consent. It is important to remember that minors cannot give legal consent. This defense is not applicable to a statutory rape case or a child molest case.

The mistake of Fact: In a limited number of cases, a mistake, in fact, maybe a viable defense. The most common example of this is when the defendant has a good faith, reasonable belief that person was actually of legal age. If a 17-year-old lies about their age, a mistake, in fact, maybe a valid legal defense. However, this defense cannot be raised if the minor is under the age of 14.