A former Glendale police officer is facing charges of violating the terms of his probation after being convicted of computer sex crimes in Los Angeles, the L.A. Times reports.
Orange County criminal defense lawyers know how intrusive probation and sex-offender reporting requirements can be. It is worth noting that all of Lindsay Lohan's legal problems stem from probation violations after a drunk driving conviction in 2007. Never are requirements more intrusive than in the wake of a conviction for a sex offense.
Unfortunately, embarrassed defendants will sometimes quickly plead guilty to a sex offense, particularly if they are being offered probation, in order to put the incident behind them. Too often, most end up re-offending because of onerous requirements of probation or sex-offender reporting. An experienced attorney is sometimes successful in helping clients avoid unrealistically restrictive probation and can assist in making sure a defendant knows what is expected.
In this case, the former officer was convicted of seducing girls online and was arrested on suspicion of violating terms of his parole, including possessing computers. Other examples of restrictive probation requirements include no contact with children in families with children (and their friends). Defendants are also frequently not permitted to be in public places with children, which can turn an act as simple as a trip to the park into a probation violation.
And, of course, those on probation must permit authorities to search their residence at any time. Such a search is what turned up a pair of laptop computers in this case. Authorities also report being suspicious of video or audio tapes that may be intended for children as well as a photograph depicting a young woman or child.
If you need to speak to a sexual harassment attorney in Orange County, contact the California Legal Team at (310) 497-0321 to discuss your rights.
