I have always been someone who loves to stay on the right side of justice, which is probably why I shied away from hanging out with the wrong crowd all growing up. Unfortunately, I found myself with someone when they committed a criminal act a few years ago, and it really hurt my case. It was amazing to see just how damaging those initial charges were to my self-confidence, and I knew that I had to do something to make things right. I began focusing on working with the right lawyer to clear my name, and within a few days, things were looking up. Check out this website to learn more about criminal attorneys.
Evidence That Can Be Problematic If You'Ve Been Charged With "Sextortion"
One type of sex crime that is increasingly common due to modern-day technology is what people often call "sextortion." As its name suggests, sextortion refers to attempting to extort someone in a manner that relates to something sexual. If you've been charged with this serious crime, hiring a criminal defense attorney who has experience with sex crimes is something that needs to be a top priority. One of the first things that he or she will do is review the evidence against you. Here are some examples of evidence that may be present that can definitely be problematic.
Electronic Exchanges
Any type of extortion case, including sextortion, involves some type of correspondence between the victim and the alleged perpetrator. In this case, the exchange might include a threat that you will share photographs of a sexual nature online unless you get what you want. This type of evidence can be problematic because it's possible that the victim has shared it with the authorities. If you did indeed engage in this inappropriate behavior, the authorities may have text messages, emails, or even written notes in your handwriting that convey this type of extortion.
Transfer Of Money
A sextortion victim may alert the police regardless of whether he or she has given money to the alleged perpetrator. If the victim has paid you, this is problematic because there's almost certainly a paper trail. For example, if you're alleged to have asked for a certain amount of money and the other party sent it to you via electronic transfer, the victim will have proof of this exchange. While you might argue that the money was for something else, this argument may be an uphill battle.
Involvement Of Others
Evidence in any type of criminal case gets more problematic when it involves more than just the alleged victim and perpetrator. In your case, it's possible that more than just two people have been privy to the exchange of information. For example, perhaps you're alleged to have texted an extortion-like message to two people with whom you've been sexually involved. If they know each other and get together to file complaints, you'll have two people saying the same thing about you. Your attorney will assess all of this evidence and determine what strategy will suit you best. Depending on the strength of the evidence, your attorney may advise pleading guilty to a lesser charge.
For more information, contact a law firm like Robert J. Campos & Associates, P.L.C.