How Can You Defend Against False Allegations of Sex Crimes?

What Are Some Common Defenses Against Sex Crime Charges?

Being charged with sex crimes can be highly stressful, and if the allegations against you are false, you likely want to exhaust any options available to demonstrate your innocence. Whether you’re facing internet sex crimes or other sex crime charges, the consequences of a conviction can be severe. You might face time in prison and have to make reparations or pay fees. You may also face negative ongoing consequences related to your career, social standing, and family relationships.

Defending against false accusations is critical to avoiding such negative consequences and clearing your name; an experienced criminal defense team can help.

Five Options for Defending Against False Sex Crime Allegations

Criminal defense lawyers can help you understand what the best defense strategy may be in your case. It depends on the facts of the case and the allegations against you. Some options for defense against false sex crime allegations include demonstrating an alibi or consent and showing that the person has a motive for making false claims against you.

1. Present an Alibi

One option for an effective defense is to demonstrate that you were not present when the alleged crime occurred.

For example, consider a hypothetical situation where one person claims that they are the victim of a sex crime committed by another person. The alleged victim claims that the crime took place on a Monday evening between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. If the accused can show evidence that they were working from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on that Monday night, this is a strong alibi for their defense.

2. Demonstrate the Presence of Consent

Some sexual abuse and other sex crime charges require a lack of consent in Missouri. If you face this type of sex crime charge, proving that consent was present may help with your defense. Video evidence and witness testimony may be options for showing the presence of consent.

3. Call Out Inconsistencies in Testimony and Evidence

Your attorneys work to gather evidence and analyze evidence and witness testimony in your case. If possible, they will highlight inconsistencies, logical fallacies, and other problems with testimony. Doing so can help weaken the claims against you, supporting pretrial negotiations or impacting how a jury perceives your potential guilt or innocence during a trial.

Experienced criminal defense lawyers also review the evidence and how it was obtained. If they can show that evidence was obtained illegally, they may be able to exclude it from the record.

4. Show a Motive for the False Accusation

If you believe someone is making false allegations against you as a form of revenge or for any other reason, showing this motive can help with your defense. Evidence that might help create a narrative of motive against you include witness testimony and documentation such as texts or emails.

5. Present Character Witnesses

During a trial, it may help to present character witnesses that help jurors see you as an upstanding citizen. Depending on the nature of the case, you may also want to have character witnesses that can speak to a lack of honesty on the part of your accuser. For example, demonstrating that the person has a history of making false claims against people may help with your defense.

5. Leverage Expert Testimony

In some cases, you may want to have experts testify regarding the facts of the case. Depending on the claims made against you, medical, law enforcement, psychology, or forensics experts can speak to the plausibility of facts and claims.

Steps to Take Immediately

If you are charged with a sex crime or believe someone is about to make false sex crime allegations against you, it’s essential to act quickly to support your defense and the chances of a positive outcome in your case. Some steps you may want to take immediately include:

• Documenting everything. Keep a notebook or record details in a notes app on your phone when possible. Write down everything you can remember about the time period in question, as you may need those details to support your alibi.
• Preserve evidence. If you have videos, photographs, texts, emails, or other evidence demonstrating why someone might make false accusations against you or that you couldn’t have committed the crimes, ensure you keep them safe.
• Reach out to a criminal defense team. Get legal help as soon as possible to protect your rights and build a defense strategy against the charges.

Work With an Experienced Criminal Defense Attorney

Sex crime allegations are serious, and the consequences of conviction can be steep. Proving your innocence against false allegations helps you avoid prison time and other penalties and can ensure you clear your name to reduce the impact on your career and relationships. Working with experienced criminal defense attorneys on your sex crimes case can increase your chance of a positive outcome.

If you are facing false sex crime allegations, contact the Missouri DWI & Criminal Law Center. You can call 816-846-2219 to speak with one of our team members about our services and whether we can help with your case.