Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyer Blog

The son of a of former Bermuda leader Ewart Brown recently went on trial. He is in court facing dozens of sexual assault charges in Los Angeles stemming from his medical practice. The prosecutors are making claims that the practitioner sexually assaulted 11 of his patients and an undercover vice officer using the guise of performing breast and pelvic checkups on these patients, according to the Associated Press.

Brown entered a not guilty plea to the more than 30 felony sex count charges. He is on $4 million bail and is currently facing a sentence of life in prison if convicted on all of the charges.

Our Orange County defense attorneys understand that these types of allegations can be devastating to a doctor as they are oftentimes falsified. In this particular case, victims alleged that Brown performed a number of breast or vaginal exams on the patients after they complained about pains pertaining to ankle injuries or the flu. One female patient is even claiming that Brown raped her.

Brown was initially charged back in 2008. Brown's attorneys report that none of his patients reported the claims to any office personnel when they occurred.

Sexual assault can be considered as attacks such as rape or attempted rape or any unwanted sexual contact or threats. Typically a sexual assault happens when someone touches a part of another person's body in a sexual way. This touch can occur through clothes, but must happen without that person's consent. Other types of sex acts that fall under the sexual assault category include forced sexual intercourse (rape), sodomy (oral or anal sexual acts), child molestation, incest, fondling and attempted rape, according to The National Center for Victims of Crimes.

Essentially, prosecutors have great discretion in how they charge a sex crime -- much more so than with many other criminal offenses. And many times, the accusations are falsified. A number of recent studies have concluded that roughly 50 percent of rape accusations are falsified.

After being falsely accused of a sexual crime, many have spent years in prison because their case lacked a significant defense. Aside from jail, these types of allegations can be detrimental and can turn lives upside down. Oftentimes people's careers are ruined and close friends and family are lost forever.

Remember, if you are facing sex crime allegations, you do not have to speak with the police. If you are arrested, you don't have to say anything. Explaining yourself and providing an immediate defense will most likely not improve the situation. In many cases it can make your situation much worse. At this point you are urged to contact a lawyer as you are granted the right to competent legal representation under the U.S. constitution.

Continue reading "Los Angeles Sex Charges: Son of Bermuda's Former Leader Facing 33 Felonies" »

It seems increasingly common that teachers are arrested for either having inappropriate sexual relationships with students or exchanging lewd photos with students. And while experts debate why this has become a trend, police continue arresting teachers charged with these crimes.

In the news recently, a Fresno teacher was sentenced to seven years in prison for having a sexual relationship with a former student and sending sexual text messages. Last month in Los Angeles, a teacher's assistant was arrested and charged with having sex with a 13-year-old boy, Los Angeles Sex Crimes Lawyer Blog reported.

Throughout California, there have been still more charges. CBS News reported in June that an Escondido high school teacher was arrested and charged with having sexual relations with a 17-year-old student, while in March, a swim teacher in Santa Ana was charged with having an unlawful sexual relationship with a 15-year-old student, NBC News reported.

These are disturbing allegations, but they are only that, allegations, until they are proven in a court of law to be true. Everyone is entitled to a fair trial and are considered innocent until proven guilty; ourLos Angeles Rape Defense Lawyers believe in and uphold that standard every day. Charges involving children can be tricky because their minds are not fully developed. Therefore, they often don't realize the consequences of their actions, or lies, and can sometimes not be reliable.

There can be a fine line between being an aggressive defense lawyer and badgering a child who is an alleged victim of a sex crime. But it is critical that the facts come out and not just allegations. Children, especially teenagers, sometimes can take out their frustrations and disappointment in the form of lies and those lies can sometimes get people in trouble with the law.

Sadly, there have been times when a student made up a story about a teacher only to see that teacher get arrested and then freed once it was revealed that the student was lying. Unfortunately, by that point it can be too late. Public opinion may have already convicted the teacher, leading to job loss, ridicule in the community and other sanctions despite being innocent. It is the responsibility of police to ensure an arrest is made in good faith.

But it is the duty of an experienced Los Angeles Rape Defense Attorney to aggressively attack the evidence, witnesses, police reports and other facts in order to get to the bottom of the matter. Sex crimes in California are punishable by years or decades in prison and many may require registration as a sex offender for life. it can mean a life sentence even if you are out of custody.

So, trust a law firm that has handled many of these cases and fights to uphold the constitutional rights of all clients, regardless of the charge. The criminal justice system can be daunting, so let our firm help.

Continue reading "Teacher-Student Sex Crimes Arrests Increasing in Orange County, throughout California" »

An 81-year-old man was arrested last week after being accused of trying to lure a 12-year-old into his car in the Antelope Valley community of Littlerock, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The suspect, a Pearblossom resident, was taken into custody by sheriff's deputies on felony charges of attempted kidnapping of a child under 14 years old. He was booked and held on $1 million bail for the alleged Los Angeles sex crime.

Our Los Angeles sex crime attorneys understand that the 81-year-old had a history of sex offenses. He was already a registered sex offender in the area. The problem with this is the public perception of these people. Once you've been convicted of such a crime, whether the conviction was justified or not, there will always be a dark cloud looming over you.

Once these types of allegations are made, the public draws conclusions without significant evidence. These types of allegations have the ability to ruin a person's life. For this reason, it is critical for you to contact an experienced sex crime attorney in the wake of these serious allegations.

According to police, the girl was reportedly walking down the road, with her parents a short distance away, when the suspect pulled up next to her and asked if she wanted a ride. Deputy Daryl Bonsall of the Palmdale sheriff's office says that the girl declined and the suspect continued to drive slowly beside her. He sped away when the girl's mother approached to confront the suspect.

The mother reported the man's description to Palmdale sheriff's deputies. Deputies discovered a man who may have fit the description just a short distance away in Pearblossom.

Los Angeles officials took eight more convicted child molesters and registered sex into custody after a Wilmington motel raid. They were apprehended for alleged parole violations, including possession of child pornography or narcotics, reports the Los Angeles Times.

As previously reported on the Los Angeles Sex Crimes Lawyer Blog, most of those who were arrested in the motel bust were middle-aged men whose previous offenses included lewd and lascivious conduct with children or other sex crimes, said Det. Patricia Batts of the Los Angeles Police Department.

The bust went down at Harbor Inn in the 700 block of Flint Avenue. This motel has a reputation for housing offenders because of its history as a state-funded waystation for newly released prisoners, according to Batts said.

Authorities had received reports of children coming in and out the area. No evidence turned up proving those reports.

Officers from the Inglewood, Long Beach, Montebello and Los Angeles police departments, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals, the L.A. County Probation Department and the Department of Children and Family Services took part in the raid.

Continue reading "Officials Nab 9 Already Convicted of Sex Crimes in Los Angeles" »

Eight people were taken into custody recently by Los Angeles Police after a raid on a Wilmington motel that was home to dozens of convicted child molesters and registered sex offenders, The Los Angeles Times reports.

Once a person has been convicted of a sex crime -- whether it's an 18-year-old who has sex with a 16-year-old or a person who commits a violent rape -- they can be labeled a sex offender and be required to provide information to local law enforcement authorities; typically they will also be subjected to registration in state national databases of other sex offenders.

Pasadena Sex Offender Defense Lawyers believe that while sex crimes are dangerous, making every person who is convicted of a sex crime be branded with a scarlet letter is inherently unfair. And failing to notify law enforcement can result in jail time. That's why aggressively defending sex crimes in Pasadena is so crucial.

According to The Times, police raided The Harbor Inn recently and found stuffed animals, teen magazines, pornography and children's underwear among other items. Police reported that most of the men arrested had previously been convicted of lewd and lascivious conduct with children. They surmised that the items were to be used to lure young children.

According to the Sex Offender Registration Act, which is governed by California Penal Code 290, requires people who have been convicted of a list of crimes to register as sex offenders. According to the California Sex Offenders Registry, there are more than 63,000 people registered in California.

This registry guarantees that a sex offender will be paying for a conviction for the rest of his or her life. While other types of crimes allow people to serve their time and move on with life, sex offenses do not.

The law governs where they can live, where they can travel, what types of jobs they can have and other things for the rest of their lives. Not being able to visit relatives who have children can be another consequence.

Because they must notify law enforcement when they move into a town or when they are planning to leave a city, every neighbor knows they have been convicted of this type of crime. They get long stares and sometimes are discriminated against. And often, they were convicted decades ago and have been a law-abiding citizen since.

This is why hiring the right Pasadena Sex Crimes Lawyers up front is such an important decision. We have years of experience in the criminal justice system and focus much of our time dedicated to the criminal defense of sex crimes. We will attack the evidence police and prosecutors intend to rely on to secure a conviction.

That ranges from DNA evidence to eyewitness accounts to the credibility of the alleged victim. Taking this crime lightly could result in years in prison followed by a life on constant monitoring and ridicule. Protect your rights and call our law firm today.

Continue reading "Sex Offender Raid in Wilmington Leads to Parole Violation Arrests" »