BLOG POSTS

I have been accused of a child sex offence – What do I do?

Sexual offences against children are among some of the most notorious and serious crimes a person can be convicted of, and many convicted peodophiles are serving long prison sentences, some for the remainder of their lives.

But what do you do if you have been falsely accused of a child sex offence? Unfortunately, this distressing situation is something that some individuals and families are forced to go through.

Why are some people falsely accused of a child sex offence?

Anyone can be falsely accused of a child sex offence, and this can occur for a variety of different reasons including:

  • During custody battles – sometimes, during a custody battle, one party may accuse another of a child sex offence to gain the upper hand. This could be accusing the individual of indecent assault towards their own, or someone else’s child.
  • A child’s being misunderstood, or not understanding what they are saying – sometimes children say things that are misunderstood, or they do not understand the conceptions of what they are saying.
  • Revenge – sometimes arguments and rivalries can get out of hand, and it has been known for and it has been known for individuals to be falsely accused of a child sex offence by someone wanting revenge.
  • Someone misunderstands the relationship between an adult and a child – sometimes an innocent relationship between an adult and a child can be viewed as indecent by a third party. This could be a family friend who looks after a teenager on a regular basis, for example.

This list is by no means exhaustive. There are many reasons why someone may be falsely accused of a child sex offence, and each case is different.

For more information on what constitutes a child sex offence.

What is the punishment for a child sex offence?

As child sex offences vary, so do the punishments. Child sexual offences are given different levels – the higher the level, the more severe the punishment. The levels are as follows:

  1. Nudity or posing erotically, but with no sexual activity.
  2. Sexual activity between children, or a child masterbating.
  3. Sexual activity between adults and children (non-penetrative).
  4. Sexual activity between adults and children (penetrative).
  5. Beastiality or sadism.

Severe child sex offences are punishable by anything up to life imprisonment.

What to do if you are falsely accused of a child sex offence

If you are falsely accused of a child sex offence, it is of vital importance that you get yourself a good defence attorney. Even if you’re 100% sure that you did not commit the crime, you will still need a lawyer to fight your corner.

Here at DPP Law, we have a dedicated team of solicitors and sex offence lawyers who are experts in these types of cases.

Do not answer any questions without a solicitor present.

It is important that you can gather any information that is relevant to your case. This could be any physical evidence (i.e. clothes, photos or videos), correspondence (i.e. text messages, emails, letters or voicemails) or witnesses.

Gathering information is vital as this could be the difference between you getting found guilty or innocent. For example, there could be an email that proves you were not in the vicinity of the area when the crime was alleged to have taken place

If you have been falsely accused of a child sex offence, contact one of our child abuse solicitors for some sound, reliable legal advice.