Child sex offenses are taken extremely seriously in Arizona. Penalties for Arizona sex crimes are usually severe, and Arizona prosecutors will almost always try to prosecute sex offenders to the full extent of the law. In some cases, a defendant may not have known that the victim was a minor. As such, the defendant must be able provide proof in court that they reasonably believed the victim was 18-years-old or older when the incident occurred. Aside from this defense of “mistake of fact,” Arizona statutes do not contain any other type of defense for defendants facing accusations of child molestation or child pornography. Individuals facing serious allegations for child sex crimes should contact a Phoenix sex crimes lawyer to help prepare for their defense in court.
If an individual has been charged with one or more of the following sex crimes, they can seek assistance from a lawyer who can work to protect their rights:
- Child pornography
- Child molestation
- Indecent exposure
- Luring a minor for sexual exploitation using the Internet
- Prostitution using the Internet
- Sexual exploitation
- Solicitation of child prostitution
This is not an all inclusive list, and it is recommended that you consult with a sex crimes lawyer if you are facing criminal charges for any type of alleged sex offense against children in Arizona. For more information or to schedule a free confidential consultation with a JacksonWhite sex crimes lawyer call 480-818-9943.