New Jersey criminal courts can impose severe penalties on those convicted of serious sexual offenses, and offenders cannot expect leniency. If you face sex offense charges in this state, ask a New Jersey sex crime attorney at Shugar Law Office to defend you.

The New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault reports that 1.8 million New Jerseyites have been sexual assault victims. If you are accused of a sexual crime, an experienced New Jersey sex crime lawyer must represent you, whether you are innocent or guilty as charged.

A sex crime conviction can permanently disrupt your life. Hard-hitting, seasoned investigators investigate sex crime cases for law enforcement agencies in this state. Do not answer their questions without having your attorney present, even if you know you are innocent.

How is Rape Classified in New Jersey?

Sex crimes in New Jersey include crimes of a sexual nature ranging from indecent exposure (a disorderly persons offense comparable to a misdemeanor in other states) to rape (an indictable offense equivalent to a felony in most other states) and other sex crimes.

New Jersey sex crime laws classify rape as second-degree sexual assault. A rape conviction is punishable in New Jersey with five to ten years in jail and a fine of up to $150,000.

What is the Most Serious Sex Crime in New Jersey?

Aggravated criminal sexual assault is a first-degree crime and the most serious sex crime in New Jersey. A conviction is punishable with a possible life sentence and a fine of up to $200,000.

Aggravated sexual assault involves sexual contact with someone under 13 or someone between 13 and 16 if the accused was a family member or had supervisory or disciplinary power over the alleged victim.

Aggravated sexual assault is also the charge if a victim suffered forcible sexual penetration during the assailant’s commission of another crime, if the assailant used physical force that produced an injury, or if the assailant threatened the use of force with a weapon.

What is Criminal Sexual Contact?

Criminal sexual contact, depending on the details of the incident, is a third- or fourth-degree offense. It is sexual contact with certain minors or sexual contact using force or coercion that does not physically injure the victim.

When charged as a third-degree crime, criminal sexual contact is punishable on conviction with five years in prison and a $15,000 fine. Fourth-degree offenses are punishable upon conviction with an eighteen-month sentence and a $10,000 fine. Indecent exposure is a fourth-degree crime.

How Does New Jersey Define Indecent Exposure?

Indecent exposure is the purposeful exposure of intimate body parts when a perpetrator reasonably knows a child under 13 (who is at least four years younger than the perpetrator) or a mentally incapacitated person will see and not understand the sexual nature of the exposure.

Other sex crimes prosecuted in New Jersey include child pornography, human trafficking, and prostitution. Possessing child pornography is a fourth-degree crime. Distributing it is a second-degree crime; potential penalties include five to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $150,000.

What Other Consequences Do Convicted Sex Offenders Face?

A New Jersey sexual offender convicted since the 1994 passage of Megan’s Law must comply with sex offender registration requirements and register with the local police. Refusing to register or failing to report changes in personal information is a fourth-degree crime.

Offenders convicted of indictable offenses face collateral consequences. They lose privileges such as voting, serving on a jury, owning a firearm, or holding a public office.

Having certain sex crimes on your record can also make it challenging to find employment and housing. You may no longer qualify for loans, public assistance, or attend particular colleges and universities.

What Are the Defenses Against Sex Crime Charges?

If you face a charge for a sex crime in New Jersey, the defense strategy that a New Jersey sex crime attorney at Shugar Law Office prepares for you will depend on the details of the charge. The most common sex crime defenses offered in these cases are:

1. The claim is false. Fabricated sex crime claims are made for many reasons and sometimes for no apparent reason. An ex-spouse may fabricate a claim to gain an edge in a child custody fight, or a teen may make a phony charge against a stepparent.

1. The purported victim consented. Consent may not be a valid defense if the purported victim was disabled, a minor, incapacitated, or unable to consent due to drugs or alcohol.

1. Another person committed the crime, and the victim (or someone else) has misidentified the defendant.

1. Insanity: The court will have a psychiatrist examine the defendant if the defense claims insanity.

When Should You Contact a Sex Crime Attorney?

If you are charged with sex offenses under New Jersey law, you must have skilled, knowledgeable, and experienced legal guidance. A New Jersey sex crime lawyer at Shugar Law Office can provide the aggressive defense representation you need.

We know the forensic techniques used by sex crime investigators. These techniques can convict a defendant but can also prove a defendant’s innocence. If you’re facing a sex crime charge, the sooner you speak with the sex crime defense team at Shugar Law Office, the better.

Bring Your Legal Needs to Shugar Law Office

The sex crime defense attorneys at Shugar Law Office have an impressive record of successfully representing our New Jersey clients and helping them avoid prison time. If the state charges you with a sex crime, call Shugar Law Office immediately.

Your first meeting with the legal team at Shugar Law Office is a free consultation. You will receive practical legal advice from a New Jersey criminal defense attorney and learn how New Jersey law applies to your case. You’ll be treated with courtesy, professionalism, and respect.

We have law offices located throughout New Jersey. Whether you are innocent or guilty as charged, if you are accused of a sex crime in this state, call Shugar Law Office promptly at 609-544-2811, and let our law firm provide the professional legal representation you need.