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If you or a loved one is facing any kind of sexual offense charge, contact a skilled Phoenix sex crimes lawyer at AZ Defenders. We are available 24/7 to take your call and will take the action needed to defend your freedom.
Whether you’re facing child molestation, child pornography, violent sexual assault, statutory rape, or any other sex crime charge, we can help. Sex offense charges can have severe penalties––including lengthy prison sentences and sex offender registration requirements––that could seriously and negatively affect your life. Protect your future with sound legal advice and a strong defense.
Give our Phoenix law firm a call at (480) 456-6400 or contact us online to learn more about your legal rights after being charged with a sex crime.
AZ Defenders are established members of the Arizona legal community, with excellent reputations for dedicated service to our clients. Our Phoenix sex crime attorneys are some of the most aggressive in the country.
We are ready to fight for your rights with more than 100 years of combined legal experience in the criminal justice arena. We do not settle for guilty pleas and will defend you in the courtroom without compromise.
Sex crime convictions follow you for the rest of your life. You will be required to register as a sex offender, with your name, address, photo, and the crime accessible to anyone with a digital device.
There is a great social stigma associated with these offenses. Therefore, it is essential that you have a Phoenix criminal defense attorney experienced in sex crime cases to help you ensure that only the facts are considered in your case. If you are facing criminal charges in Maricopa County, you need aggressive Phoenix sex crimes lawyers with knowledge of how to develop a compelling defense case.
Arizona prosecutors are aggressive in seeking criminal convictions. It is extremely dangerous to face charges without support from a talented criminal defense lawyer. The sex crimes attorneys at AZ Defenders have been working in the criminal justice system for years and have successfully defended many difficult Arizona sex crime cases. We are trial lawyers and criminal defense attorneys who are passionate and dedicated, and take on sex crime charges with top-level legal skills and experience.
There are several different charges classified as sexual offenses crimes in Arizona. Depending on the act and the age of the alleged victim, a conviction for a sexual offense charge could result in significant fines, mandatory registration as a sex offender, and a long prison term. If you are facing sex crime charges, from child pornography to sexual misconduct, contact a Phoenix sex crimes attorney at the law firm of AZ Defenders for a free consultation on your case. We are available 24/7 to take your call.
Arizona identifies the following offenses as sex crimes:
In Arizona, indecent exposure is the exposure of the genitals or anus (or breasts of a female, with the exception of breastfeeding), in a public place, especially with reckless disregard to whether a reasonable person would find it alarming or offensive.
The crime of child pornography in Arizona is to knowingly film, photograph, record, or otherwise display a minor engaged in sexual acts or conduct, or to distribute this explicit material.
This offense also arises when someone distributes, transmits, or simply possesses child pornography. As long as the minor was under 18 when the image was created, the offense will be a class 2 felony.
Public sexual indecency means to knowingly engage in sexual contact, oral sexual contact, sexual intercourse, or bestiality with someone present who would be reasonably offended or alarmed.
It is an offense to knowingly engage in prostitution. Prostitution means to agree to, engage in, or offer to engage in sexual activity with any person for money or other valuable considerations. Solicitation for prostitution is also a crime in Arizona.
It is a serious felony to knowingly or intentionally engage in sexual contact with a child who is under the age of 15. It is also a crime to cause someone to engage in sexual contact, except with the female breast, with a child under 15.
Arizona’s sexual abuse law defines this crime as the intentional or knowing sexual engagement with someone without that person’s consent.
This is the crime of engaging in oral sexual contact or sexual intercourse knowingly with someone under the age of 18.
Sexual assault is the crime of knowingly or intentionally engaging in oral sexual contact or sexual intercourse with any person without that person’s consent.
Knowingly invading someone’s privacy without that person’s knowledge or consent for the intent of sexual stimulation. This can include recording or photographing someone without that person’s permission.
This is not a full list of the sex crime cases we handle at the law firm of AZ Defenders. Our Phoenix sex crimes attorneys have decades of experience defending clients against all types of sex crimes. We know how these cases work, which laws apply, and what defendants need in terms of defense strategies.
No matter what allegations someone has brought against you, please contact us for a free—and 100% confidential—initial consultation about your specific case. We can talk you through the statutes that might apply to your criminal case. We may also offer to represent you as your criminal defense attorneys during a trial in Arizona.
Arizona law defines and delineates sex-related crimes. These laws were intentionally drafted broadly to cover many types of conduct. The penalties for individuals convicted of these crimes vary depending on the accused person’s criminal history and the age of the victim.
If the victim is under the age of 15, then the penalties are far more severe, including a prison sentence of several years, up to life imprisonment. Under Arizona law, when the victim is under 15, the crime is deemed a Dangerous Crime Against Children offense, triggering some of the harshest sentencing consequences across the country. Arizona is known for having the toughest sex offense laws when compared to other states.
The penalties for the sexual offense of rape, for example, can include up to 14 years in prison. Arizona’s definition of rape is within the state’s sexual assault law (ARS § 13-1406). Rape is a Class 2 felony in Arizona.
The penalties increase if the defendant has prior criminal convictions for sexual assault. In this case, the court can increase penalties to up to 21 years in prison. With two or more prior sexual assault convictions, the sentence can increase to up to 28 years in prison.
Aggravating factors can also increase the punishment for the sexual offense of rape. Using a date rape drug, for example, potentially adds three years to the defendant’s sentence. Inflicting serious bodily injury to the victim can result in 25 years to life in prison in Arizona. A sexual assault conviction such as for rape will also come with mandatory sex offender registration. This is one example of how the circumstances of the crime and case can increase the penalties a defendant will face upon conviction.
Exacerbating factors such as the victim being a minor, a past record of other sexual assault convictions, or bodily injuries to the victim can lead to much worse criminal consequences than the basic crime alone. Most other sexual offenses in Arizona also come with penalties such as jail time or prison time, fines, sex offender registration, and probation.
To learn more about the penalties for sex crimes in Arizona, speak with a knowledgeable sex crime lawyer in Phoenix.
A sex crime conviction of any kind is a serious matter that could result in severe penalties and deeply affect your life. You could lose your job, your home, your reputation, and your relationships with friends and family members. If the law requires you to register as a sex offender, it could permanently impact your ability to find a job or housing.
The Phoenix sex crimes lawyers at AZ Defenders can work hard to achieve an acquittal or minimize the penalties you face during a sex crime case in Arizona. We can do this by tailoring a strong defense strategy specifically to your case.
One of the most serious consequences of a sex crime conviction is the sex offender registration requirement. Arizona makes it mandatory to add your name to the list of registered sexual offenders as someone who receives a certain type of sex crime conviction. This is a list that will be accessible to different parties at will, meaning they can search and find your name on a list of registered sex offenders.
Being on this list has several severe consequences. First, registration can be ordered for life. Second, you would be disallowed from having contact with minors under 18. Third, some offenders cannot use either the internet or visit family members with minors in the house without prior approval. Overall, registration alters a person’s life in many ways.
Arizona Revised Statute (ARS) 13-3821 contains a list of sex crimes that will lead to mandatory sex offender registration in the state:
Upon your release from jail or prison, the state will assess your risk level on a scale of one to three. One is the lowest level of risk and three is the highest. Your risk level will determine who will receive notifications of your registration on the sex offender list when you return to the general population.
As someone convicted of one of the above-listed sex crimes in Arizona (except for cases involving the insanity defense), you must register your name on the state’s Sex Offender Registry within 10 days after the conviction or within 10 days after entering the State of Arizona.
You may register by contacting the police of your county. If you move or change your name, you must notify the police of the change within 72 hours, excluding public holidays. Violating Arizona’s sex offender registration requirement is a Class 4 felony, punishable with hefty fines and/or a jail sentence.
To protect your rights and seek the best outcome for the charges against you, a skilled defense attorney at the law firm of AZ Defenders will fully investigate and challenge the sex crime allegations in the state’s case. Our work on your behalf could make all the difference to the outcome of your Phoenix sex crime case, as well as to your future.
We will use proven defense tactics to reduce the charges against you, receive a case dismissal, achieve an acquittal, or lighten the penalties you might face. Your unique strategy will depend on the circumstances. Some of the defense strategies that could achieve a positive case outcome include:
The goals of most sex crime defenses in Arizona are to demonstrate the lack of credibility of the prosecution’s evidence, undermine the prosecution’s witnesses, or prove the defendant’s innocence.
The right sex crime lawyer in Phoenix can explore all plausible defense options in your case, from illegal search to insufficient evidence to find the strongest choice. Then, your lawyer can take aggressive and proactive steps toward proving your stance, including filing motions, subpoenaing witnesses and evidence, moving for a case dismissal, working out a plea deal, and/or discrediting the false allegations against you.
Regardless of the type of sexual offense that you have been charged with, we will pursue the most favorable outcome possible and ensure that you are fully apprised of every development in your case.
Don’t settle for a public defender, call the Phoenix sex crimes defense lawyers at AZ Defenders today for a free initial consultation on your case. Our legal team is available to take your call 24/7 at (480) 456-6400. Or, if you prefer, you can contact us online to make an inquiry or to set up a free consultation.
“Craig and his team are the very best!!! I very much recommend him. He is very knowledgeable in the arena that he works in. He achieves a very high level of respect from his peers and does get great results.”
– Tom H.