Sex Crimes Criminal Defense Lawyer in Los Angeles, California

Sex offenses under California penal law can range from minor misdemeanors to serious felonies. Even a low-level offense has far-reaching consequences on your future. Mandatory registration as a sex offender opens up your history for public scrutiny by everyone from potential employers to prospective landlords to neighbors. Registration could make it impossible for you to get a job or even find a place to live. 

However, it’s important to note that an arrest is not a conviction. You have hope. You will want to find a quality Los Angeles sex crimes defense lawyer who will explore all available options for your defense. Protect your freedom and your future by reaching out to our team today.

Ninaz Saffari and the Saffari Law Group team serve defendants across the state of California. Call today at (213) 460-4922 or reach out here to set up a free consultation with our Los Angeles criminal defense attorney. 

Allegations Our Los Angeles Sex Crime Attorney Defends Against

Our team can defend you against any of the following sex crime charges:

Annoying or Molesting a Child Under 18

Even when the alleged sexual contact is minimal, child annoyance or child molestation carries significant legal implications. Prosecution is possible if a minor claims you molested them or otherwise made them uncomfortable due to an alleged sexual interest. 

Child Pornography

Offenders are often held accountable for both the distribution and possession of child pornography. The materials considered as part of this crime can vary greatly but typically involve any images or videos that depict sexual acts with minors under 18 years old. If you are accused of distribution or possession of child pornography, you could face serious charges.

Lewd Acts With a Minor

California prosecutors take lewd acts with a minor very seriously. You can face prosecution if a minor alleges you touched them for sexual gratification or had them do so to themselves.

Failing to Register as a Sex Offender

Annual registration as a sex offender is mandatory for individuals convicted of certain offenses. If you have been convicted of one of those offenses, you must provide your address, place of employment, and other relevant information within five business days of a change in residence. Failing to register as a sex offender can be charged as a felony. 

Forcible Sexual Penetration

Forcible sexual penetration is a far-reaching category of sex crime. It could involve penetration with an object, either finger or penile, as well as oral copulation or sexual force upon victims aged 14 years old and younger. 

Multiple other similar offenses overlap within this scope regardless of if the victim is an adult or minor. This crime can also involve deceit—for example, pretending to be someone’s spouse or partner and sliding into bed while they are asleep and taking the above actions. 

Indecent Exposure

Indecent exposure can appear to be a relatively harmless offense, but the reality is that it can have serious and long-lasting consequences, including required inclusion on the sex offender registry. 

If the purported victim was a minor or you have previous convictions for similar offenses, there is the possibility penalties for conviction may be enhanced. This act involves an intentional display of genitalia in public spaces with no legitimate purpose. 

Repercussions can range from misdemeanor charges to more severe penalties beyond criminal proceedings, such as social stigma and lifelong commitments like mandatory registration.

Lewd Conduct 

Lewd conduct encompasses a wide range of allegations that can include misdemeanor offenses like indecent exposure to felony charges for sexual battery. These are acts that would be deemed offensive by the general public and typically committed for sexual pleasure or gratification. 

These charges are considered “Wobblers” in California law, meaning a District Attorney has the right to try them as either a misdemeanor or felony. 

Oral Copulation by Force or Fear 

Oral copulation by force, fear, or threats is always prosecuted as a felony, but it may also be charged as a “strike” under California’s Three Strikes laws. This means a longer prison sentence if convicted. 

Violent, non-consensual contact between the accused and a victim’s orifices is what defines this offense. It can involve force on behalf of the perpetrator, an unconscious state from victims due to drugs/alcohol, disability status or any other factor which makes them legally unable to consent.

Prostitution and Solicitation 

Prostitution and solicitation crimes can be misdemeanors or felonies depending on the specific nature of the crime committed. Charges can be anything from engaging in prostitution, to seeking out a prostitute, to supervising prostitution, to being a part of human trafficking. 

Rape 

Regardless of whether the victim is an adult or a minor, there is no more egregious sex crime in the eyes of the public than rape. A District Attorney will virtually always classify this as a strike offense, which means a longer prison sentence upon conviction. 

Sex Trafficking and Human Trafficking 

These allegations involve the exploitation and abuse of individuals for labor or sexual acts through violence, coercion, or threats of imminent harm or future retribution. Moreover, financial gain need not always serve as an incentive, even in cases where no money exchanges hands–such as when undocumented immigrants are forced to do paid work without compensation. Supplying victims with another individual’s gratification also constitutes trafficking – regardless if payment was received or not.

Sex and human trafficking will be charged as a felony and will likely draw a high degree of attention in the D.A.’s office. Defendants need to know that a reliable Los Angeles sex crimes lawyer with our firm will be ready to mount a vigorous defense. 

Sexual Battery 

Sexual battery is a serious criminal charge harshly prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The offense entails touching another person in an intimate area, such as buttocks or genitals, without their legitimate consent and with sexual desire, arousal, gratification, or pleasure behind it.

Sodomy

Sodomy charges involve forced or non-consensual contact between the victim’s and perpetrator’s genitals and anus. Without any aggravating factors present, penalties for this crime can range from probation to 14 years in prison.

Statutory Rape 

An unmarried person under 18 cannot legally consent to sex. The charge severity depends on the age difference between you and the alleged victim. If you are fewer than three years older than the alleged victim, you face a statutory rape charge, which is a misdemeanor in California. With more than a three-year age difference, you face felony charges and may receive a prison sentence of up to four years. 

When facing these charges, turn to our Los Angeles sex crimes attorney for help by calling (213) 460-4922. 

Penalties for Sex Crimes Offenses

The penalties you face for a sex crime conviction depend on the offense. However, you could face:

• Prison time
• A lifetime on the sex offender registry
• Fines
• A criminal record that will never be clean

Those are just the legal penalties. You could also:

• Lose custody of your children
• Be unable to get a job or an apartment
• Lose friends

Our sex crime attorney will fight for your future. 

What Ninaz Saffari and the Sex Crimes Defense Team Can Do for You

Ninaz is dedicated to her clients and their families. When you work with our team, you get:

• Experience and a history of success: Ninaz and her team have the experience you want. We’ve taken over 70 cases to trial, where we typically win during the opening argument.
• Dedication and availability: We only take a select number of cases so that we can be wholly dedicated to you. We also make ourselves available whenever you need us. You get our personal cell phone numbers, so you never feel alone.
• Counseling and support: These accusations can tear a family apart, but Ninaz wears multiple hats. In addition to defense lawyer, she acts as a family counselor and advocate.

Contact Our Los Angeles Sex Crimes Attorney 

If you’ve been accused of a sex crime in Los Angeles, it can be an incredibly emotional and distressing experience. However, with legal representation from Saffari Law Group, you can protect your rights, defend yourself against these allegations, and fight for your freedom. Our knowledgeable and experienced Los Angeles sex crime defense attorney can help you navigate the complexities of the criminal justice system, provide sound legal advice, and vigorously defend you against these charges. 

Whether you are facing false allegations or are grappling with a complex legal situation, a sex crime lawyer from our firm can help guide you through the process and fight for the best possible outcome for your case. 

Fighting a sex crime allegation? Contact our Los Angeles law firm today at (213) 460-4922 to schedule your free initial consultation!