Noblesville Child Solicitation Attorney
Child solicitation is a serious crime. Whenever accusations involve children, the state and the public take them very seriously. Because of this, talking, flirting, or making jokes with someone you met online can quickly escalate into a criminal examination. Serious repercussions could result from a conviction, and a Noblesville child solicitation lawyer at The Criminal Defense Team can help you in the legal process.
The Criminal Defense Team of Baldwin Perry & Wiley P.C.
The Criminal Defense Team is an Indiana-based criminal defense law firm that serves clients in Noblesville, Indiana, and the surrounding areas. The Hamilton County Courts, located at 1 Hamilton County Square, Noblesville, IN 46060, are the venue for many felony trials.
We have the resources and lawyers needed to handle complicated felony cases. A team consisting of a minimum of two lawyers and a paralegal is appointed to each significant case. Each of our lawyers devotes time to examining digital forensic data, reviewing police records, and reviewing conversation logs.
Additionally, our lawyers have prosecutorial experience in both homicide investigations and serious felony cases. We are aware of the way the state presents its case against you.
Our Team
This company employs five of Indiana’s six Board-Certified* Criminal Trial Specialists. To be clear, not all of our lawyers are Board-Certified;* only five of them are. Through our lawyers-on-call rotation, which is accessible around the clock, clients may anticipate prompt responses and access to an attorney. A group of lawyers and paralegals is assigned to each significant case to review all the evidence, police reports, and chat conversations.
Our lawyers have prosecutorial experience in large criminal investigations and serious felony cases. We are aware of the laws against child soliciting. More significantly, we know how to hold the government responsible for violating your rights.
Comprehending Indiana’s Child Solicitation Laws
Indiana Code Section 35-42-4-6 is the state’s child solicitation statute. In essence, it is illegal for a person who is at least eighteen to knowingly or purposefully ask a person under the age of fourteen or someone the defendant suspects of being under the age of fourteen to engage in sexual activity with the child or another person.
In a nationally representative survey of young adults (18–28 years old) who reported experiencing sexual abuse via technology and the internet as minors, researchers found the following:
- 7.2% of respondents said they had provided self-produced pornographic photographs
- 15.6% had encountered online child sexual abuse before the age of 18.
- 7.2% reported being sexted without consent.
- Adults’ online grooming was reported by 5.4%.
- 3.5% were victims of sextortion.
The law makes it illegal to merely request or promote sexual conduct. It is not necessary to have physical touch. If the prosecutor alleges that you arranged or sought a sexual encounter with someone you thought was underage, you may be charged with a crime.
Stings for Sexting and Covert Activities
The use of chat rooms, messaging apps, and social media websites for sting operations has grown in popularity among law enforcement organizations.
Officers may participate in online chats while pretending to be minors. It may start out as a harmless conversation before turning sexual. Police may intervene and bring child solicitation charges if the unidentified individual then makes sexually explicit texts or asks to meet. Typical components of these stings consist of:
- Online chat transcripts that have been saved
- Screenshots of chats in messages
- Call recordings
- Meeting places that are police-surveilled.
Because law enforcement carefully prepares these cases, they can raise significant legal questions about intent, entrapment, and whether the accused intentionally believed they were speaking to a minor.
Child Solicitation Penalties
In Indiana, it is considered a crime to solicit a child for sexual activities. Your criminal history and the specifics of your case determine the felony classification.
The consequences include sex offender classification, supervised release, and potential jail time. There are permanent limitations on where you can live, work, and even use the internet after registering. In addition to the legal ramifications of a felony conviction, you may be immediately fired, have your professional license revoked, and have your reputation permanently harmed.
What the Prosecutors Need to Show
The prosecution must demonstrate that you were at least 18 years old when you knowingly or willfully asked someone you knew or thought was under the age of 14 to have sex in order to prove that you committed child solicitation.
Intent becomes an important consideration in many cases. Online conversations can be perplexing. Context is crucial, and tone and intent should be taken into consideration. It should also be asked whether either party spoke in sarcasm and was not serious about what they may have said. In some circumstances, the defense may argue that there was no genuine intent to commit a crime.
During these sting operations, police methods may also be questioned. Police do not have the right to ask someone to break the law just because they pose as minors online. Entrapment defenses are applicable in cases where your constitutional rights are violated by police enforcement. For instance, the case may be dropped if the police persuade someone to violate a law they otherwise would not have.
Hire a Child Solicitation Lawyer
Similar to how you would seek the advice of a specialist rather than just any doctor for your medical problems, you should do the same for your legal problems. Do not put off consulting a lawyer if you are being investigated or charged with child solicitation. Before charging you, the police will probably want to speak with you or keep searching for evidence against you.
A Noblesville child solicitation attorney can help protect their clients from online sting operations. Every major felony is handled by The Criminal Defense Team, which comprises at least two lawyers and a paralegal. Double-checking conversation logs, search warrants, and any forensic testing that was conducted is part of our team’s philosophy.
In Indiana, there are six criminal trial attorneys who are Board-Certified.* The Criminal Defense Team is where five of them practice. When facing prosecutions based on aggressive tactics and technological evidence, it is important to be ready at the trial level. Contact The Criminal Defense Team today for a consultation.
*Andrew Baldwin, Kathie Perry, Maxwell Wiley, Kelly Pyle, and Michael C. Cunningham are Board-Certified* Criminal Trial Specialists, as certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Find out why having a Board-Certified* Criminal Trial Specialist as your defense lawyer is important here.