Sexual Assault of Minors: Lawyers & Attorneys In Phoenix AZ

Sexual Assault of Minors

Get the help of an experienced Phoenix, Arizona sexual crimes attorney.

Of all the crimes that people commit in our society, child sexual assault is considered one of the worst.  Sexual assault of a child not only causes physical damage but possibly irreparable emotional harm.  Because of this, prosecutors have extreme pressure placed on them to convict child molesters, rapists and pedophiles.

However, the push to prosecute these offenders has resulted in some innocent people being labeled as sex offenders who are by no means child molesters.  For example, in Arizona the age of consent to sexual activity is 15 years.  However, most people do not consider a 15-year-old who has sex with a 14-year-old a child molester.  Under the law, however, that is exactly what that young person is!  Lawmakers do not necessarily recognize degrees of guilt or take circumstances into account when creating statutes, so some very odd pockets of criminal law and prosecution may develop.

Obviously, child sexual assault laws were written to protect children.  However, one of the unfortunate consequences of these laws may be that someone is accused of a heinous crime who is not truly guilty of criminal conduct.

In other cases, someone is accused of this heinous crime who is not guilty of any bad action or poor judgment.  While children are not likely to outcry about an adult’s sexual advances falsely, there have been cases where children were coached to say that an adult molested or even raped them in order for other adults to gain some perceived victory.  These heinous cases are not common but they have happened, ruining the lives of everyone involved.

Child sex crimes are some of the worst our society prosecutes.  Because of that, an accusation of child molestation or sexual assault cannot be ignored or treated casually.  From the very beginning of the criminal justice process, anyone accused of one of these serious crimes needs strong legal representation in the form of a criminal defense attorney who has experience in dealing with sex crimes and their prosecution.

A criminal defense attorney may gather physical evidence, interview witnesses and work diligently to form a defense to the charges.  In some cases, a criminal defense attorney may advise an accused person to plea to a lesser charge in order to avoid a conviction.  Whatever the case may be, a criminal defense attorney provides protection for the rights of the accused and assists them in forming a defense to this very serious criminal charge.