Lake County, IL Internet Sex Crimes Lawyer

Internet Sex Crimes Defense in the Northern Suburbs of Chicago

As with all charges of a sexual nature, being charged with an Internet sex crime can bring immediate social stigma. People may forget that you are innocent until proven guilty, and, in many cases, your criminal defense lawyer may be the one person who believes in you and will fight for your freedom and your reputation. Aside from serving prison time for a conviction of Internet sex crimes, the next most serious consequence would be placement on the Illinois sex offender registry. Being required to register as a sex offender can limit where you work, where you live and who you associate with for the rest of your life. As an example, you would not be allowed to live closer than 1,000 feet from a school, daycare or church. Failure to comply with the requirements of the Illinois sex offender registry could result in further felony charges.

The The Law Offices of Matthew R. Gebhardt, P.C. fully understand the serious nature of Internet sex crime charges as well as the severe penalties associated with a conviction for the crime. Attorney Gebhardt is a seasoned lawyer with over 20 years’ experience. Five years were spent as the Cook County prosecutor which allows Gebhardt to anticipate the prosecution’s tactics—then counter those tactics with a strong defense. Our Northbrook criminal lawyer will leave no stone unturned when examining the evidence against you and understands that in some Internet sex crime cases it is the burden of the prosecutor to show you intended to break the law.

Internet Sex Crimes Overview

The proliferation of computers, smartphones and other Internet-capable devices has brought a significant increase in the number of Internet-based sex crimes. Many people are not especially clear on just what constitutes an Internet sex crime. Generally speaking, Internet sex crimes take place through an online medium and are sexually motivated, such as:

• Possession and/or distribution of online child pornography;
• Online solicitation of a minor to engage in acts of a sexual nature;
• Distribution of sexually explicit or exploitive materials to a minor;
• Traveling to meet a minor as a result of an online solicitation;
• Online sexual harassment;
• Webcam offenses;
• Chat room or instant message lewdness; or
• Online solicitation of prostitution and facilitation of prostitution.

One of the major issues associated with charges of Internet sex crimes is that in many cases a number of people had free access to the computer in question. You need an attorney who will ask the important questions—such as who had access to the computer, could a computer virus have downloaded child pornography to your hard drive or were you entrapped by an online sting operation?

Potential Penalties for a Conviction for an Internet Sex Crime

As noted, the penalties associated with a conviction for Internet sex crimes are severe. If convicted you could be sentenced to as many as twenty years in an Illinois state prison, pay as much as $25,000 in fines, have restrictions placed on being near children, schools or parks, be put under supervised probation, and be required to register as a sex offender for a period of ten years or as long as a lifetime. Due to these severe penalties, it is vital that yourcriminal defense lawyerforce the prosecution to prove every single element of their case.

How an Experienced Internet Sex Crimes Attorney Can Help

Attorney Matthew R. Gebhardt understands that you may be feeling humiliated, anxious and frightened for your future, and will seek to answer all your questions and alleviate your fears to the extent possible. Attorney Gebhardt believes you deserve a lawyer who has respect for you and truly wants to help you avoid a conviction for a sex crime. For a free consultation, contact us today.