A sex crime allegation is serious. When it involves a minor, the stakes are even higher. Because the authorities aggressively investigate and pursue sex crime accusations, it is important for anyone charged with this type of offense to present a strong defense.
Last week, three male students from McKinley High School in Baton Rouge were arrested for alleged sex crimes against a 14-year-old girl. According to the local police, the three boys behaved inappropriately in the boys’ locker room at the school one afternoon.
One boy, the school’s 17-year-old quarterback, was taken into custody and charged with forcible rape. The other two students, an 18-year-old baseball player and another 17-year-old football player, were both charged with indecent behavior with a juvenile. Each of the three boys was booked into the parish jail as an adult.
No other area of the law carries as much public stigma and presumption of guilt as criminal charges involving sex-related offenses. Prosecutors are under extreme public pressure to obtain convictions in state and federal courts. Sometimes, this pressure can cause them to move too quickly and even make mistakes.
Because the penalties for conviction of a sex crime are severe, anyone facing this type of charge should consult with an experienced defense lawyer. This attorney will evaluate all angles of the alleged crime, making sure the accused person’s side of the story is heard. A defense attorney will carefully evaluate the prosecution’s evidence, which may only be the alleged victim’s word. The defense lawyer will help protect the defendant’s rights and future.
Source: WAFB, “McKinley High QB arrested for rape,” Joshua Auzenne, 8 April 2011