There will almost always be a lengthy investigation prior to an arrest in a sex crime case. For this reason, it is significant to learn the benefits of retaining a dedicated sex crimes attorney early on so that you can know your rights and be ready for your appearance in court. Become acquainted with the information below to learn about Fairfax sex crimes investigations and how you can be prepared throughout yours.
Each sex crime will be investigated differently depending on the type of charge. In physical sexual assault cases there could be witnesses or some type of medical exam where the sexual assault nurse examiner will go through and make a rape kit. On the other hand, when an individual has other types of charges that are not on the physical level such as pornography or sexting, these are going to be investigated using forensic experts or potentially through online stings. Each type of defense is going to be investigated in a different way and with a unique focus on specific types of witnesses and evidence depending on what the charge is.
Cases that do not involve a physical accuser who has been abused often merit much more lengthy investigations prior to an arrest than other situations. For example, in the situation of a child pornography case where an individual is charged for possession, the investigation may be slower in building cases over months and months of time. However, in situations of a physical case where there was some kind of allegation of physical sexual violations or sexual offenses, that case will often result in an arrest pretty quickly where the accused would be incarcerated for the duration of the investigation and into the trial period. This occurs because they are considered a danger to their communities as there is an actual victim who could be in danger of being abused again.
The nature of Fairfax sex crimes investigations make hiring an experienced attorney very significant because these situations involve so many serious consequences. Sometimes there are situations where a charged individual should only be facing a misdemeanor, but the act is still considered a sex crime that they can be put on the registry for. For the duration of this time, this individual might not be able to be a teacher anymore or be near children, and that consequence is something that they would need to hire an attorney for to help defend against.
On the other hand, felony offenses for sex crimes are extremely serious and a lot of them have the potential to carry up to life in prison because of the delicate nature of the offenses. Conviction of a felony results in losses of rights that an individual may never regain, including the right to bear arms and the right to vote. In other cases, individuals might win their case, but they ultimately still lose the respect of their neighbors or even lose their job simply because of the fact that charges were filed against them. Make sure you have someone protecting your rights and reputation during this time.