Legal Aid: A Blog About Laws And Legal Processes
Why You Should Not Take Accusations of Sex Crimes Lightly
Renee Bates
If you are accused of committing sex crimes, such as rape and child pornography, it is very important that you take steps to clear your name. This article discusses why such accusations should never be taken lightly.
Prior Records Have Minimal Impact
Many jurisdictions take sex offences very seriously and will not consider your clean record when you are being sentenced once you are convicted. It is therefore very important that you do not assume that the fact that you have no criminal record will exonerate you or get you a lighter sentence when you are facing sex crime charges.
You May Be Registered
Some jurisdictions enter all convicted sex crime offenders in a register that can be accessed by the public. Appearing on that register can ruin your life because it may become very hard for you to get a job or buy a home. These negative effects can last for your entire life, long after you've served your sentence and gotten out of jail. Even community members may shun you once they find your name on the sex offender register.
You May Be Wrongfully Stigmatised for Life
Effects of being accused of a sex crime do not only occur in the months surrounding your conviction and sentence; there are long-term effects, as well. You may be cleared of the charges but you may never escape from the stigma of being suspected of being a sex offender. This is because the media may have covered your arrest. Such media attention can cause you to be perceived as guilty in the eyes of the public. Such public condemnation may not end even if the courts find you innocent of all charges. Consequently, you may end up being the subject of gossip in your community. Such gossip can have a negative impact on your family and work life. For example, you may fail to get a marriage partner because all potential partners may leave you after hearing about that sex crime you were arrested for.
As you can see, just the mere suspicion by the authorities that you are a sex offender can negatively affect your life forever. It is therefore very important that you take steps to resolve the matter quickly before it spirals out of control. The most helpful step that you can take is to get in touch with an experienced criminal lawyer. He or she will assess your situation and advise you on the best course of action to take in the circumstances.
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Welcome! My name is Jessica, and I work as a legal aid secretary. I am in awe of the lawyers in my office and the variety of cases they cover. From injury compensation to family court matters, they need to understand the law in a broad range of areas. As a legal secretary, it is often my job to research particular points of law or find certain cases for reference. It is a fascinating job and I work hard to keep up with the constant changes to our laws and legal processes. Friends and family often ask me for direction on legal matters and whilst I explain that I am no expert, I usually manage to provide sound advice. This blog is for people who share my passion for the law or who want to understand more about our legal system. I hope you find it engaging and useful.