If you have been charged with sexual assault, you are in serious trouble. You must waste no time in preparing your defense and you should make no statement to the authorities until you have spoken with an attorney. This can be the hardest part of the entire ordeal. You may be surprised and outraged by the accusation. You may want to explain yourself and say anything that you can think of to free yourself of the charged. This is a bad idea. The last thing you want to do is make a remark or comment that the authorities can subsequently use against you.
Protecting Your Rights
Your first move should be to contact a lawyer such as the ones found at. Once your lawyer arrives, they will advise you as to the questions you have to answer and those you don’t. If you are too shaken up to say anything to the authorities, your lawyer can speak for you.
The Seriousness of the Crime
A sexual assault conviction carries a significant social stigma. Rape, groping, and other inappropriate touching are rightly seen as fundamental violations of another person’s being. If you are convicted of any of them, it can follow you around for life. The most serious sex crimes are those involving children. If you are convicted of a child sex crime, your life as you know it will be over.
Indeed, if you are convicted of a child sex crime, the ruin of your life begins after you have finished your prison sentence. You will be forced to register as a sex offender. This means that you will not be able to get within a certain distance of any children, including blood relations. The sex offender registry is public, which means you will have a hard time getting a job and even a decent place to stay. Many apartment complexes automatically reject applicants who are registered sex offenders.
Defending Yourself
This kind of shame, embarrassment, and outright oppression is best avoided. If you have been falsely accused of sexual assault, you must act with purpose and vigor in defending yourself. It is no use hoping the charge will go away. It won’t. The only way forward is to retain the services of an experienced and highly skilled criminal defense lawyer.
Children who falsely accuse adults of sexual misconduct are often manipulated or coerced into doing so by someone they trust. If you had an especially bad break-up with your ex, you should not put it past them to use your children against you in this way. If you have had flirtatious or intimate relations with a colleague, they may intentionally or unintentionally mis-interpret something you did. In the latter case, it may be possible to settle the matter through mediation. However, if they are determined to pursue it, then you will need to prepare for a fight.
In the end, you will need to defend yourself to preserve your freedom. You will also have to rebuild your name and reputation when it is all over.