The City of Philadelphia doesn’t take sex crimes lightly. Police and prosecutors may work fast to put alleged abusers away in jail or prison. This can lead to many accused getting railroaded in the system.
If you or a loved one have been accused of or charged with sexual abuse, you deserve justice, too. A Philadelphia criminal defense lawyer can help you get the best possible outcome for your case, whether that’s dropped charges, an acquittal, or a fair sentence.
The Law Offices of M.J. Snyder, LLC Can Protect Your Rights
Being accused of sexual abuse can be confusing, stressful, and scary for you and your family. The Philadelphia sexual abuse lawyers from the Law Offices of M.J. Snyder, LLC believe you are innocent until proven guilty. You will get the support, resources, and aggressive legal representation your case needs.
Our job is to protect your rights at every stage of the investigation, trial, sentencing, and appeals processes. We’re dedicated to:
- Fighting false allegations
- Proving your innocence
- Suppressing evidence collected illegally
- Negotiating a plea in your best interests
- Working to get charges dropped
- Avoiding unjust sentencing
- Handling appeals
The team at the Law Offices of M.J. Snyder, LLC has been getting favorable outcomes for our clients in the criminal justice system for more than a decade. We offer free consultations to evaluate your case and go over your options for getting the best possible defense. We’re also available 24/7, including on holidays, to offer legal counsel, answer questions, and update you on the progress of your case.
For a free legal consultation with a sexual abuse defense lawyer serving Philadelphia, call 215.515.3360
When to Call a Philadelphia Sexual Abuse Lawyer
You should contact a Philadelphia sexual abuse lawyer from our firm as soon as you are:
- Accused of sexual abuse
- Being questioned about your role in a sexual abuse case
- Being investigated for sexual abuse
- Arrested for sexual abuse
- Charged with sexual abuse
- Booked for criminal charges
- Scheduled for a court hearing about sexual abuse charges
- Appealing an unfavorable decision in your sexual abuse case
While you can start working with a criminal defense lawyer at any time during a sexual abuse case, the sooner you call the Law Offices of M.J. Snyder, LLC, the more time we have to work on your case and help you get the outcome you deserve.
Philadelphia Sexual Abuse Defense Lawyer 215.515.3360
How a Philly Criminal Defense Attorney Can Help Your Sex Abuse Case
Our Philadelphia sex crime defense lawyers will serve you and your best interests during a sex abuse case. Here are some of the things we can do to improve the outcome of your case:
- Investigate the case and gather key evidence
- Identify false accusations or misidentifications, or develop other strong defenses
- Make sure law enforcement did not violate your rights during the police investigation
- Prepare witnesses to give testimony
- Participate in jury selection
- Identify and exploit inconsistencies in the prosecution’s story
- Examine all witnesses
- Make strong opening and closing remarks to show evidence in your favor
- Advocate for you in court and during private counsel sessions
- Negotiate fair sentencing
- Handle all your appeals
In addition to handling the legal tasks of your case, we also provide you with legal guidance every step of the way. That includes regularly updating you on the progress of your case, preparing you for all hearings, advising you on your legal options as they change, and helping you make the best decisions for your case.
We Will Gather Important Evidence for Your Sex Abuse Case
Evidence is so important in a sex abuse case. The prosecution will use a variety of evidence to prove your guilt, but we will collect our own evidence to:
- Prove your innocence
- Introduce reasonable doubt
- Undermine the prosecution’s argument
Some of the most vital evidence we can use in your case includes:
- Eyewitnesses to the alleged abuse
- Witnesses to vouch for your alibi
- Character witnesses to illustrate who you are as a person
- Expert witnesses to provide critical analysis of evidence in your favor
- Phone and social media records to present a different side of the story
- Medical records to demonstrate that the alleged abuse didn’t take place or didn’t occur as the prosecution says it did
Types of Sexual Abuse Cases We Handle in Philadelphia
At the Law Offices of M.J. Snyder, LLC, we handle a wide variety of sexual abuse cases, including the following sexual offenses:
- Sexual assault
- Child molestation
- Forced sodomy
- Date rape
- Marital rape
- Stranger rape
- Incest
- Sexual assault of a minor
- Many more
If you or a loved one have been accused of or arrested for any of these sex abuse charges, you deserve a thorough and aggressive defense to protect your rights. If you are facing charges not covered on this list, we still want to hear from you so we can review your legal options.
Defenses We May Be Able to Use If You’re Accused and Charged With Sexual Abuse
We can use many different defenses in a sexual abuse case. But the defense we use can depend on many factors, including the type and strength of the evidence, the type of sexual abuse that allegedly occurred, and your alleged role in the abuse. Here are a few defenses to sexual abuse charges we may explore:
- A strong alibi that puts you somewhere else at the time of the abuse and proves that you could not have committed the abuse
- False accusations due to misidentification
- False accusation due to retaliation, such as after rebuffing romantic advances
- DNA evidence that shows another perpetrator committed the abuse
- Weak evidence or testimony from eyewitnesses, such as potential misidentification due to a dark environment preventing good visibility
- Consent, in that the alleged victim consented to the sexual act in question
- Lack of drugs or alcohol to further demonstrate consent
- Lack of force or coercion to further demonstrate consent
- Mental incapacity that prevented you from understanding the situation, consent, or the potential to do harm
Penalties for Sex Abuse in Philadelphia
Being charged with sexual abuse is hard enough — but being convicted of sexual abuse can change your life forever.
Many sexual assault convictions are felonies, meaning time served in prison with or without the possibility of parole. You could also face harsh penalties and hefty fines and be required to pay restitution to a victim if they suffered serious physical or psychological injury. In many cases, you may also face mandatory sex offender registration.
What Happens If You Have to Register as a Sex Offender?
As a registered sex offender, it will likely be difficult to find housing or employment. You will need to update the sex offender registry each time you:
- Change your name
- Move
- Are fired
- Are hired
- Become a student
- Graduate or leave school
- Get a new email or instant messaging address
Each time you move to a new neighborhood, the chief law enforcement officer in the area may distribute flyers to your new neighbors, letting them know you are a registered sex offender. Depending on the tier of the offense, you may also need to report to a Registration/Verification site monthly, quarterly, twice annually, or annually.
We’re Ready to Defend You
If you are facing sexual abuse or other sex offense charges, a Philadelphia sexual abuse defense attorney can help. You deserve legal representation that is better able to get you a favorable outcome. Contact the Law Offices of M.J. Snyder, LLC to get a free confidential consultation and find out what strategies our sex crimes attorneys can use to improve your case.
