Sex Offenses and Crimes Explained by Attorney in Tampa, FL

When an allegation of sexual violence occurs the stakes are incredibly high for both the person accused and the alleged victim. The person accused is facing a lengthy prison sentence and being designated as a sex offender which brings a lifetime of supervision making it difficult to find work or a place to live. These cases often receive heightened media attention.

The attorneys at the Sammis Law Firm, P.A., represent clients charged wtih sex offenses and crimes throughout the Tampa Bay area including Tampa in Hillsborough County, Dade City and New Port Richey in Pasco County, Lakeland and Bartow in Polk County, Bradenton in Manatee County, St. Petersburg and Clearwater in Pinellas County, and Brooksville in Hernando County, Florida.

False Accusations of Sexual Asssault in Florida

As the usefulness of DNA evidence improves, individuals are being exonerated after serving long prison sentences for crime of sexual violence. James Bain was exonerated on December 17, 2009, after serving 35 years for the kidnapping and rape of a child before DNA evidence proved that he did not commit the crime. 

The terrible nature of the crime often leads law enforcement officers to rush an investigation once a suspect is discovered. Likewise, prosecutors often think that justice requires a hardball approach to prosecuting the charges even when holes in the evidence become apparent. No justice results if an innocent person is prosecuted while the real perpetrator of the crime remains free to commit other crimes.

Statistics for Sex Crimes in Florida

The number of charges for crimes of sexual violence in Florida has generally been falling since 2000. During the 2000-2001 fiscal year, Florida courts reported 4,196 sexual violence charges. Florida’s Trial Court Statistical Reference Guide estimates that more than 3,300 charges were filed for sexual offenses from fiscal year 2008 to 2009. Despite the number of crimes prosecuted, often cited studies estimate that one out of nine adult women in Florida have been the victim of a forcible rape at sometime during her lifetime.

Types of Sex Crimes under Florida Law

Sexual offenses under Florida law include sexual misconduct, incest, lewd and lascivious offenses, and sexual battery. Those crimes include:

• Sexual battery under Florida Statutes Chapter 794 (excluding sections 794.0235(5)(a) and (5)(b));
• Lewd or lascivious offenses, including:
  • crimes under Chapter 800, Florida Statutes;
  • exhibition, molestation, or battery with an disabled or elderly adult under Florida Statutes Sections 825.1025(2),(3) and (4) ;
• Incest under Florida Statute Chapter 826;
• Sexual misconduct including: 
  
  • with a patient under Florida Statute Section 394.4593(2);
  • with a forensic client under Florida Statute Section 916.1075(2);
  • with a person with a disability Florida Statute Section 393.135(2);
  • by a psychotherapist with a client under Florida Statute Chapter 491;
  • by juvenile justice staff and a juvenile offender Florida Statute Section 985.701; and
  • by corrections staff with an inmate or supervised offender under Florida Statute Section 944.35(3)(b).

Finding an Experienced and Aggressive Attorney for False Allegations of Sex Crimes

If you have been falsely accused of a sex crime in Tampa, Hillsborough County FL, or the surrounding areas of Bartow or Lakeland in Polk County, St. Petersburg or Clearwater in Pinellas County, New Port Richey or Dade City in Pasco County, then contact an experienced and aggressive sex crimes defense attorney at the Sammis Law Firm in Tampa, FL.