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.
If you are facing rape charges in Los Angeles, contact the California Legal Team at (310) 497-0321 to discuss your rights.
Additional Resources:
Sex offenders arrested on alleged parole violations after Wilmington motel raid, by Gale Holland, The Los Angeles Times
Previous Blog Entries:
Proposed laws target California Sex Offenders with more sanctions: Feb. 28, 2011
