Los Angeles Internet Sex Crimes Defense Lawyers

Defense for Solicitation of a Minor in Los Angeles

Solicitation of a minor is a common Internet sex crime in which an adult scours chat rooms, message boards, online communities, and social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace with the intention of meeting, luring, or enticing a minor to have sex.  Using the Internet to solicit sexual acts from a minor continues to be one of the most prevalent Internet sex crimes against children.

In an effort to try and catch people who solicit sex from minors on the Internet, state and federal law enforcement agencies set up sting operations to try to find people who commit this crime. During a sting operation, a law enforcement official poses as a minor. If the adult under investigation asks the “minor” for inappropriate pictures, or if the adult asks to the minor to meet in person for sex, then he/she will face charges for solicitation of a minor. Sometimes law enforcement will drag out a sting operation to see if the adult will actually show up at arranged place.  When the adult shows up, law enforcement is already there waiting to conduct an arrest.

Penalties for Solicitation of a Minor in Los Angeles

If you have been arrested for soliciting sex from a minor in Los Angeles, it’s crucial for you to hire an attorney who has experience defending people charged with this type of Internet sex crime. The penalties for solicitation of a minor are quite severe.  Using the Internet to arrange to meet a minor for sex will result in up to one year in jail and fines up to $5,000.  If you actually met a minor in person, you could face up to 4 years in prison and be required to pay much larger fines.

Furthermore, things can get even more complicated when you arrange a meeting with a minor in another state. Not only will you face criminal charges in California, but you can also be tried in the other state as well.

For more information about cases involving child pornography and possession of images that may be construed as child pornography, please visit our other website devoted exclusively to the defense of child porn cases.

Contact a Los Angeles Solicitation of Minor Attorney

Using the internet to solicit sexual acts from a minor is an incredibly serious offense. If you are facing charges for this crime, you must contact an experienced Los Angeles Internet sex crimes defense attorney right away. These types of cases require a lot of work, long investigations, and extremely aggressive defense. At Okabe & Haushalter, we have represented many clients in Los Angeles charged with solicitation of a minor, and understand what is required to successfully defend someone in court.  We understand that your rights, freedom, and reputation are on the line here.  Let us use our resources, skills, and expertise to help you fight your charges and prevent an Internet sex crimes conviction from ruining your life.

Contact a Los Angeles Internet sex crimes defense attorney at Okabe & Haushalter today!