If not handled properly from its onset, a sex crime conviction can carry a lifetime stigma. All 50 states require convicted sex offenders to register, and the New Jersey Sex Offender Registration Act, commonly known as Megan’s Law, is especially merciless, with a detailed point scoring system and different registration levels. In addition, New Jersey is unique by imposing Parole Supervision for Life, which can control where you live and who you are allowed to live with. In other words, once you’re in the system, it’s next to impossible to get out.
New Jersey law recognizes different categories of sex offenses, all of which have one thing in common. The victim did not consent or was incapable of consenting to the perpetrator’s actions. This includes minors, the mentally disabled or incapacitated, and victims of forced sexual contact.
Examples of sex crimes include:
- Sexual Assault: Under New Jersey law, sexual assault charges can become very confusing and depend on a variety of factors. Kahn & Lehrfeld have been successfully handing these types of cases for over 30 years and will appear at the initial detention hearing and help to sort out and explain the charges against you.
- Statutory Rape: Intercourse with a minor under 16 and the perpetrator is more than 4 years older than the victim.
- Rape: non-consensual sexual intercourse through use of duress or physical force
- Criminal Sexual Contact: This involves the touching of a persons private parts without their consent. The level of the crime depends on the age of the victim.
- Endangering the Welfare of a Child: In any case where the person charged has a legal duty towards a child victim, they will also be charged under the Endangering statute. If sentenced under this statute, New Jersey law requires the sentence run consecutive to any other sex related convictions.
If you are charged with a sex crime, then you can face years in prison. For example, if you are convicted of having sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 13, New Jersey law provides you must receive a mandatory sentence of 25 years to life, with a minimum sentence of 25 years without parole. Further, the State of New Jersey Department of Corrections requires all sex offenders to serve at least one-third of their sentence. Additionally, many sex assault cases carry prison sentences that require the Defendant to serve 85% of that sentence without parole.
Because of the extreme penalties associated with Sex Crimes, if you are charged you should immediately contact our office. No matter how long you spend in custody, once you get out, you could face the following extended consequences:
- Sex offender registration, which makes your name, address, and other personally identifying information available to the public
- Parole supervision for life which is a branch of the Department of Corrections which controls where you are allowed to live and with whom you are allowed to live with, including the right to stop you from living with minor children
- Social backlash from your friends, family, and the general public
- Loss of your job
- Lost access to public benefits and certain professional licenses
- A civil lawsuit to recover damages for physical injuries, mental anguish, and pain and suffering
Individually and combined, these outcomes will change your life, so it is imperative that you immediately contact a criminal defense attorney with experience in defending sex crime allegations.
Even unfounded allegations can have serious consequences for your future, so it is in your best interest to engage the services of a qualified and experienced criminal defense attorney who can challenge the allegations, question the evidence, and get you the best result given the circumstances of your case. Call the Law Offices of Kahn & Lehrfeld, LLC for a free consultation or to set up an appointment in their Cherry Hill office if you have any legal questions related to a sex crime matter.