Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer
Being accused of a sex crime or rape should never be taken lightly.
If you are arrested or are being investigated for rape or any sex crime in Florida, you need to stop everything you are doing right now and call now to talk to an experienced Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer. You can reach us anytime at 407-344-4837.
Fighting for your Freedom and your Future
Our job is to fight and win your case – to be your sex crime defense attorney. There is little worse than being accused of a terrible crime. Just the accusation can cost you your job, your marriage, your friends, your home, and not to mention the social stigma associated with it all. Our job is to be on your side and in your corner no matter how bad the situation may appear to be.
While we can (and do) take cases anywhere in Florida, our main office is located in downtown Orlando, which means we primarily practice in Orange County, Osceola County, Seminole County, and Brevard County.
Contact us or call 407-344-4837 to arrange a free consultation. If you or a family member has been arrested for any of the following, we will not hesitate to make jail visits:
- Sexual battery
- Sexual assault
- Rape/date rape
- Lewd and lascivious acts/indecent exposure
- Statutory rape/sex with a minor (person under 16)
- Failure to register as a sex offender
- Luring of a minor
- Online sex crimes
- Possession and distribution of child pornography
- Child abuse/molestation
Many sex crimes today stem from online activity. Forensic scientists can analyze your computer and bring serious Internet sex crime charges against you based on very little evidence. It is extremely important to hire a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible if you even suspect you may be under investigation for any sex crime. Properly defending these cases takes a lot of work – and you want someone who has done it before. . . successfully.
If you have had to ask yourself any of the following questions, call us right away:
1. I have been accused of a sex crime. How do I defend myself against such an accusation?
2. It’s her word against mine. Doesn’t the guy usually lose in that situation?
3. My ex-girlfriend says I raped her. How can I prove I didn’t when we have had consensual sex so many times in the past?
4. It’s hopeless, isn’t it? I mean, I can’t prove what was in her mind at the moment we were having sex.
5. This is going to cost a fortune to defend, isn’t it?
These are perfectly understandable questions and there are good answers to every one of them. But every case is different. While our clients get themselves into pretty tough situations sometimes, it’s our job to help them by navigating the criminal justice system. It’s never hopeless and defending yourself against these crimes is not impossible. But the lawyer you hire can greatly affect the outcome – be sure to get the best sex crimes defense attorney you can possibly afford.
Being convicted of a sex crime will most likely affect you for the rest of your life. There are no two ways about it. Times have changed and the information age is here. Aside from a prison sentence and the general effect on your reputation and your personal relationships, you will be required to register as a sex offender indefinitely. This can prevent you from getting a job and can control where you live and travel.
We have defended many of these types of cases in the past – successfully. Thomas Feiter is an experienced and aggressive Orlando Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer. He is a former prosecutor for the State of Florida and he was a Special Victim Counsel for the U.S. Army JAG Corps. He knows sex crimes cases from all sides.
Sex crimes make up a significant portion of the cases we handle. Whether the charge involves sexual battery or child molestation, we understand that such an accusation can have a significant impact on your life and the lives of your family. What a lot of people do not understand about the criminal justice system in Florida is that a sex crime allegation does not have to be supported by any other evidence. This means that if a person accuses you of rape (and the prosecutor believes that accuser), you can be taken to trial by jury on that accusation.
Hiring the best Orlando Rape Defense Lawyer is the best thing you can do for yourself or your family member or loved one when they are accused of rape (a.k.a. sexual battery). These crimes are aggressively prosecuted and the consequences are, as you are probably already aware, significant and devastating to anyone.
When is sex considered rape?
Sex is not rape unless one party does not consent or when one party withdraws consent. So two people can start out having consensual sex (not a crime) and it can turn into non-consensual sex (a crime). When that happens, it makes it harder to prove rape – or sexual battery. Rape is called “sexual battery” in Florida.
How easy is it to be accused of rape?
It is very easy to be accused – and convicted – of rape. The dangerous aspect of the crime of rape is that anyone can accuse you of rape after what you thought was consensual sex. So what makes sex rape or not rape is what is in the mind of the accuser at the time of the sex. In Florida, the accusation of the victim (his or her spoken words) do not even need to be backed up by anything! So what that means is that there does not have to be any independent evidence of rape (like DNA, blood, injuries, marks of resistance, etc.). The testimony of a rape victim does not have to be corroborated in order for you to be prosecuted. Here is the law/statute on that.
What is a sex crime?
Rape is the most commonly thought of sex crime, but there are many s0-called sex offenses. Lewd and lascivious molestation, sexual activity with a child, sexual battery, solicitation, video voyeurism, failure to report as a sexual offender or predator, child pornography, sexual misconduct, unlawful sexual activity, and so on. An Orlando Rape Defense Lawyer will be well-versed in all of these.
What kind of evidence might there be against me?
At a bare minimum, there will be an accusation. Shockingly, all that is required is the accusation. In other words, the spoken words of your accuser. Florida Law does NOT require anything more. You can be accused, arrested, tried, and convicted with nothing more. If a prosecutor and a jury believe your accuser, you can be sent to prison for a long time and/or be forced to register as a sex offender or sexual predator for the rest of your life.
The biggest hurdle in these cases is not always the forensic evidence, or the photos, or the DNA evidence, or the child protective team (CPT) video that there often is present. It is the accusation. Someone is saying you did something terrible and you are denying it. How can you prove it did not happen? That is really, really hard. It’s the age old question: How do you prove a negative? It is not impossible. Call us for a free consultation to learn how we may be able to help you.
Many of our clients are professionals and/or people with zero criminal history. They ask themselves, “How can this happen to me? I’m innocent! I don’t know why this person is saying this.” False allegations can be fought against. Do not lose hope. We have defended people in your position many times in the past.
Who will prosecute my case?
The prosecutor who will be assigned to your case will depend on jurisdiction. Most of the time, the local State Attorney’s Office will be the prosecutor and an Assistant State Attorney will be assigned to your case. Every once in a while the Office of Statewide Prosecution will pick up a case and be the prosecuting authority. That will be the Florida Attorney General. Most of the time, however, it will be the local State Attorney’s Office.
What do I do if I am accused of rape?
When you are accused of something like this, you need a lawyer who will stand up with you and fight against it! As an expert in criminal trial law, Attorney Thomas Feiter is a preeminent and well-known Orlando Rape Defense Lawyer. He has handled these cases many times – on both sides. He has represented both victims and defendants, having worked as a prosecutor and a defense attorney. Don’t just hire a lawyer, hire a fighter. Call 407-344-4837.
Offering Free Consultations
To begin building a strong defense, hire an Orlando sex crimes attorney at the earliest possible stage. Call The Fighter Law Firm, P.A. at 407-574-7576 or contact us online, and we will respond shortly.