A sexual offence investigation may be one of the most traumatic situations that you find yourself in. It can affect all aspects of your life, including your livelihood, your finances, your relationships with friends and family, your social reputation and your mental health and well-being. It can be emotionally challenging for even the strongest of people and you must instruct a sexual offence solicitor to your case as soon as possible whether you are placed under arrest or called in for questioning. A sexual offence solicitor experienced and knowledgeable in this highly sensitive area of the law will be able to provide excellent legal representation throughout the process. They will ensure that your rights are protected at all times, building the best possible defence for your case whilst providing emotional support and advice to ease the situation and achieve a positive outcome for you.
A sexual offence is when you carry out any form of sexual activity without the other person’s consent. This is a criminal offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and includes a wide range of sexual activity, including rape, sexual assault and child sexual abuse. It also includes crimes that exploit others for a sexual purpose, such as prostitution and sex trafficking. If you exploit someone online, such as disclosing private sexual images without consent, then you can also be charged with a sexual offence.
The sex offender’s register
If you are found guilty of a sexual offence then you may have your name added to the sex offender’s register. The sex offenders register contains the details of those who have been convicted, cautioned or released from prison for a sexual offence. You may be on the list for 2 years if you have been cautioned for a sexual offence, 10 years if you have served between 6-30 months, and if you have received more than 30 months, then you may be on the list indefinitely. This can have a detrimental effect on the rest of your life. You may have to visit the police station regularly, notify the police if you are living with or staying with children under the age of 18 for more than 12 hours, notify the police of all foreign travel and provide certain credit card and bank account details as requested. Anyone convicted as a sex offender is barred from working with children and the vulnerable. This can be difficult if you have worked with children or vulnerable people for most or all of your career. You will have to look for different career opportunities, which can often prove difficult. This shows how important it is to instruct a specialist sexual offence solicitor to your case to achieve the not guilty result that is essential for you.
You need to get in touch as soon as you are placed under arrest or called in for questioning. Your sexual offence solicitor will be able to buy you time, find out as much as they can from you and learn about the charges that have been made against you so that they can advise how you should conduct yourself throughout the investigation and pave the way to a positive outcome. Speak to a specialist sexual offence defence solicitor today to find out more.