A Huntington Beach sex offender with a prior sex crime conviction has been sentenced to 26 years in federal prison. According to a news report in the Los Angeles Times, the 53-year-old man pleaded guilty to filming an explicit video of an 8-year-old girl while taking a trip with the child and her mother to the beach in 2007. The man’s relationship to the girl or her family has not been explained. Officials searched the man’s home and found numerous images of child pornography in addition to the video of the girl. The man was convicted in 1991 of child molestation in Orange County. Officials say the man must serve a minimum of 25 years in prison after which he will still be on supervised release for the rest of his life.
Repeat child sex offenders face not only enormous scrutiny, but also the potential for a lengthy prison sentence and other dire consequences. All child sex offenders face hefty fines, time in state prison, and mandatory registration as a sex offender. These requirements make it extremely challenging for convicted sex offenders to assimilate into society or even get a job or residence. Anyone can look up their name, address, or photograph on the Department of Justice’s Megan’s Law Web site.
While it is important to protect our children from dangerous predators, it is also important to protect individual rights, especially after that person has served the time for the crime. If you have been charged with a sex crime for the first time, it is critical that you retain the services of an experienced Orange County sex crime defense lawyer who has an excellent track record with getting these types of cases dismissed or charges reduced. The stakes are extremely high in child sex crime cases. There is absolutely no room for error or carelessness.
If you or a loved one has been accused of a child sex crime, the experienced Orange County sex crime defense lawyers at Sitkoff & Hanrahan can help defend those charges and help you obtain the best possible outcome in your case. Please call us at (866) 430-8383 to discuss your case before you talk to authorities.