Being accused of a sex offense can be humiliating and frightening. Illinois Sex Crimes carry large potential prison sentences, the possibility of registering on the Sex Offender Registry, and damage to your reputation. The Vergara Law Group in Geneva, IL. is committed to the principle that a person is innocent until proven guilty.
Sex crimes will always make headlines in the community whether it is on the news, radio or social media. If a newspaper or a reporter knows about it, they will run the story. Even if a story reporting a sex offense is not run in the actual paper edition, it almost always runs as an online story. Unfortunately, that’s just part of the job of reporting the news and there’s little that can be done to stop the press from reporting such incidents or events to the public.
Sex crimes are considered especially heinous in our society. Prosecutors side with alleged victims and will often not listen to your side of the story. If you have been charged with a sex crime or if you are being investigated for a sex offense, you need an aggressive defense attorney to defend your rights and challenge the state’s evidence.
Many people are aware that they’re under investigation for a sex crime. Some people who are accused of sex crimes are tipped off by people who have become aware that the alleged victim went to the police. The police will contact the accused directly and invite them to the police department to discuss the situation. Talking to the police without an attorney is never a good idea. If you’re contacted by the police to come in and give your side of the story, you need to hire a lawyer before you do anything else. A polite request to come in and talk may seem innocent or harmless, but generally, that means that you are the focus or target of the sex crime investigation. Sometimes, the police won’t give any advance warning and they’ll just come and take the accused into custody.
There are a variety of rape charges in Illinois and the penalties depend on the age of the alleged victim, whether there was consent, and the accused’s age. If you are accused of aggravated criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual abuse or predatory criminal sexual assault, you are facing serious prison sentences and Sex Offender Registration.
If you are being investigated or have been charged with one of the follow sex offenses, contact The Vergara Law Group today:
- Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault
- Child Pornography
- Criminal Sexual Assault
- Criminal Sexual Abuse
- Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault
- Prostitution & Solicitation
- Public Indecency
- Rape
- Statutory Rape
DNA Evidence Lawyers
The Vergara Law Group are experienced and trained in defending sex cases. We have a proven track record of getting charges dismissed or reduced because we are willing to fight for our clients all the way through the criminal process. Most often, prosecutors try to obtain DNA or fingerprint evidence to prove their case. Our defense attorneys understand DNA testing and fingerprint analysis and use their knowledge to help your defense.
Penalties -- Child Pornography & Possession
In Illinois state court, all child pornography cases are felonies. The least serious offense is a class 3 felony, which carries three to five years in prison, but most state child pornography cases are either class 1 or class X non-probationable offenses. Overall in state court very few child pornography charges are eligible for probation, and all child pornography offenses would require lifetime sex offender registration upon conviction. In federal court, the penalties for child pornography cases are much more severe. It is not uncommon for a federal child pornography case to have potential sentences of 10, 20, or 30+ years in prison. The Vergara Law Group in Geneva, IL. has successfully defended against these charges and has satisfied clients with the best possible outcome.