On April 17, a Florida man was sentenced to 15 years in prison after he was convicted on a criminal charge associated with the sexual exploitation of a minor. Once he is released from prison, he will have 10 years of supervised probation and be required to register as a sex offender.
The 34-year-old man was accused of picking up a 16-year-old St. Lucie County girl after she ran away from her home. He had reportedly been conversing with her on social media sites. He took her back to his Stuart home where he reportedly had sexual intercourse with her after providing her food, alcohol, marijuana and methamphetamine. The man ultimately pleaded guilty to production of child pornography charges.
A second man, age 34, was allegedly involved, and the men reportedly both took videos of the encounter that were discovered on their phones by detectives later on. The second man pleaded guilty to two counts associated with the production of child pornography charges and one count of distribution of child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5.
Being accused of a sex crime can have a major impact on a person’s future, especially if he or she is convicted. For example, if a person is convicted on charges associated with pornography distribution, he or she could be sentenced to years in jail and be required to register as a sex offender. This could prevent the person from finding employment or living in certain areas after being released. A criminal law attorney may provide a defense against the charges based on the evidence available. The attorney may also challenge the charges if authorities did not follow proper procedure at some point during the investigation.
Source: Miami Herald, “He accepted invitations for group sex. They led to 15 years in prison.” David Neal, 04/22/2018