Sex Crimes

Sexual crimes are serious and have strong and sometimes lifelong penalties for those convicted. Penalties for those convicted range from six months in a county jail to lifetime in state prison depending on the specific offense.

Some of the most commonly charged sex crimes include:

• Child molestation - Penal Code 288
• Oral copulation - Penal Code 288a
• Penetration with a foreign object - Penal Code 289
• Forced rape - Penal Code 261(a)(2),
• Drug rape Penal Code 261(a)(3)
• Statutory rape - Penal Code 261.5,
• Sexual battery - Penal Code 243.4, and
• Indecent exposure Penal Code 314.

REGISTRATION AS SEX OFFENDER (PENAL CODE 290)

Conviction of a sex offense often requires a lifetime registration as a sex offender Penal Code 290. In some less serious offenses, lifetime registration is left up to the judge to decide if it should be imposed at sentencing. As a registered offender, your private information will become public, such as the crime you committed, your full name and home address as well as any characteristics such as tattoos and scars. If you fail to register, you could be arrested again and potentially be sent to prison.

2021 TIERED REGISTRATION SYSTEM

Starting in January 2021, there will be a three tier registration system in place for those who are ordered to register pursuant to Penal Code 290.

Tier 1 registrants are required to register for 10 years. Tier 2 regitrants are required to register for 20 years. Tier 3 registrants are required to register for life.

If you fall into Tier 1 or Tier 2, and have completed your peroid of registration based on a conviction 10 or 20 years in the past, you may be eligible now to file to the court for relief. Relief from the court may or may not affect Megan's Law reporting depending on your particular case.

SEXUALLY VIOLENT PREDATOR LAWS (WI 6600)

Above and beyond the immediate punishment if convicted, your crime can also fall within the Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) laws. Under these laws, if you are convicted and sentenced to prison, you can be civilly committed to a state hospital for the rest of your life. To be subject to this law, you would only need to be convicted of one qualifying offense. This most common SVP offense involves convictions with victims under the age of 14 at the time of the offense.

DEFENSE FOR SEX CRIMES

At the Law Offices of Benjamin Okin, our experienced team can help you not matter how serious or minor the allegation may seem. We understand that just being accused of a sex crime has immediate and profound effects on you, your family, your friends, your employment, before you even make it to your first court appearance.

Almost 95% of sex crimes offenders are first time offenders and many are even wrongfully accused. You are always innocent unless proven guilty at trial. It is not uncommon that people will accuse someone of a sexual crime out of spite, anger, jealousy, even if no crime was actually committed. A false allegation in the course of a child custody case or family law case is so common that there is actually a code that specifically sanctions such false allegations. Our attorney can fully investigate your accuser, the real facts leading up to the arrest and work tirelessly to reduce or acquit you of your charges. If you or a loved one is facing an allegation for a criminal sex offense, make sure that you contact us today.