Suffolk County Statutory Rape

Being accused of statutory rape is an unnerving experience for anyone and a Suffolk County statutory rape defense lawyer should be retained immediately. Protecting your rights from the moment you have been accused of such a serious crime is pertinent and a statutory rape defense attorney in Suffolk County is your most important asset going forward.

Even the stigma of being accused of such a crime can follow you for years and make it difficult to maintain your family, friendships and your professional reputation. For that reason, a statutory rape defense lawyer in Suffolk County is crucial. Even in the event that the minor consented to the sex act in question, a charge of statutory rape may still apply. This is a sex crime in the state of New York and can lead to fines and time spent in jail, in addition to the possibility of being required to register as a sex offender for the rest of your life.

When you know that you need to protect your interests and prepare a compelling defense immediately, an experienced Suffolk County statutory rape defense attorney will meet with you to put together a defense plan that makes sense based on the facts of your case. The allegation of statutory rape is outlined under article 130 of New York's penal law. What degree of statutory rape is committed is dependent on the perpetrator’s age as well as the age of the victim. If the victim is under 17 years old, but the perpetrator is over the age of 21, a crime could be classified as rape in the third degree.

This crime is categorized as a class A misdemeanor, which could lead to up to a year in jail. If the perpetrator is older than age 18 and the victim in question is younger than 15, rape in the second-degree charges might apply. Even if you believe that the minor consented to the act and that this will absolve you of any responsibility, this is not necessarily true, as certain ages in New York are not able to give legal consent, even if they seem to at the scene of the incident.

A felony conviction for statutory rape charges could lead to a prison sentence of at least one year. If the victim is younger than 11 years old, the charges can be elevated to rape in the first degree, which is considered a class B felony. If you have been accused of any sex crime, such as forcible touching; it is critical to contact a statutory rape defense attorney immediately. Without the experience, dedication and background of a knowledgeable sex crime defense attorney to help you, you could expose yourself to massive mistakes made early on in your case from which you are not able to recover. This is why it is in your best interests to retain a lawyer, who understands the law and will do everything in his or her power to evaluate the strength of the evidence against you and to identify holes in the prosecution's case. Since statutory rape allegations are taken so seriously in New York, you might feel as though the deck is stacked against you, even though you know that you are innocent. When your defense attorney is retained immediately, he or she will take action to figure out whether or not your rights were violated or whether other crucial evidence in the case should apply. You may not even realize that you have these options early on in the case, but this is just one reason why a right lawyer makes a significant difference. Your future is on the line, not to mention your reputation because a conviction could lead you to register as a sex offender.

If this follows you around for many years, you might find it difficult to get a job or to pursue other personal and professional opportunities in your life because your name comes up on the sex offender registry. It can be very difficult to explain this to people who are not familiar with the situation. The best way to handle this is to avoid it altogether by retaining an experienced defense attorney immediately. It might seem as though things are spinning out of control, but having a lawyer at your side can help significantly.