Charged With an Internet Sex Crime? Contact Lincoln Attorney Kevin J. Oursland
An increasing number of sex crimes either take place or have their origin on the Internet. Unfortunately for the accused, computer records can be a powerful witness against you.
Defending yourself from Internet sex crimes often becomes a matter of damage control. In any sex crime case, the sooner you contact an experienced defense lawyer the better. As a former state prosecutor and a defense lawyer with more than 13 years of experience, I know how to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the state's case.
As your defense lawyer, I will immediately begin proactive measures to help you obtain the best possible outcome. If the state has compelling evidence against you, the best approach may be to get you into counseling so you can demonstrate to the judge that this won't ever happen again. I offer a free initial consultation to discuss your case.
Internet Solicitation
The most common situation involves a male age 19 or older and a minor girl age 15 or younger talking in a chat room. The two parties arrange a meeting in a mall or other public place. When the guy shows up, he's arrested. It turns out, the 15-year-old girl was a 45-year-old police officer.
In Nebraska, Internet solicitation is a class three felony, subject to a jail sentence of up to five years. The content of your chat room messages can be introduced as evidence that you believed the girl was underage.
Child Pornography
Child pornography charges are often the result when someone sees the images on your computer. That person notifies police, who obtain a search warrant to search your computer. Even if you delete the images, they can usually be recovered from unallocated disk space on your computer. You may also be arrested if someone you shared images with is arrested and gives your name to authorities. One possible defense to these types of charges is that someone else may have had access to your computer.
Child pornography cases are usually prosecuted in federal court, where you could be subject to a prison sentence of five years or longer, depending on the number of images found.
Frequently asked questions about criminal charges
Free Attorney Consultation
If you or someone you know has been charged with an Internet sex crime in Lincoln or anywhere in Nebraska, call me, defense lawyer Kevin J. Oursland, at (402) 817-1253, toll free (866) 402-8519, or fill out the contact form on this site.
