Sex Crimes Lawyers in Columbus, OH

Facing sex crime charges in Columbus is unsettling and frightening. Not only are you confronting the prospect of a prison sentence if you are convicted, but the court could order you to register as a sex offender, too. This is on top of the damage to your professional and personal reputation that sex crime allegations can cause.

You are not consigned to defeat just because someone has made sexual misconduct allegations against you. Even in the age of #MeToo, you are presumed innocent of any sex crime allegation until the prosecution proves your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Unfortunately for prosecutors, these cases leave ample room for reasonable doubt. Before admitting guilt or pleading to a sex offense, consult with The Law Offices of Saia, Marrocco & Jensen Inc. about your case. We can raise available defenses and challenge the sufficiency of the prosecution’s case. This can encourage prosecutors to reduce your charges or dismiss the case against you entirely.

You have nothing to lose by taking advantage of our free initial consultation. Speak with us today about your charges and path forward.

Common Sex Crimes Prosecuted in Columbus

Contact The Law Offices of Saia, Marrocco & Jensen Inc. if you have been charged with any of the following sex crimes in Columbus:

Rape

Having sexual intercourse with someone is considered rape if certain circumstances are met. These include having sex with a child under 13, drugging someone, or overcoming the person through physical force or fear. It is not a defense that you did not know the child’s age or that the victim did not physically resist you.

Sexual Battery

Unlawful Sexual Conduct With a Minor

This offense criminalizes engaging in sexual conduct with a child who is between the ages of 13 and 16 years of age. You can be convicted of this crime even if you did not know the age of the child so long as the judge or jury believes you acted recklessly when it came to discovering the child’s age.

Sexual Crimes Against Your Spouse

In the recent past, a person could not be prosecuted for certain sexual offenses committed against their spouse. For example, it was legal to sexually assault your spouse or have sex with them while they were unconscious and unable to consent.

Once this new legislation takes effect in August 2024, it will remove this spousal exception and criminalize sexual offenses committed against your spouse.

This development reinforces the need to have counsel who is well-versed in current Ohio laws represent you. The Law Offices of Saia, Marrocco & Jensen Inc. can do so because we practice criminal defense every day. We are constantly immersed in Ohio’s criminal laws, enabling us to provide you with the best possible counsel.

Ohio’s Age of Consent

In Columbus and throughout the Buckeye State, a person who is at least 16 years old is considered old enough to consent to sexual activity. When a child is under the age of 16, they are not legally capable of consenting to sexual intercourse or other conduct under any circumstance.

Even if a child this young does not object to or invites sexual contact, you can still be arrested and face charges for a sex offense. If the child is under the age of 13, it is no defense that you did not know or have reason to know the child’s young age. You will be prosecuted for a child sex offense regardless.

The age of consent does not excuse all sexual activity with a person. For example, you can still be charged with a sex offense with someone over the age of 16 if that person did not consent to the contact or intercourse.

How Sex Crimes Are Investigated and Prosecuted

Investigate Your Case Thoroughly

Because the conduct alleged in any sex crime case invariably occurs in private, it can take days, months, or even years before charges are filed. In most cases, an investigation does not commence until the alleged victim comes forward and makes an allegation of unlawful sexual conduct against you.

Sometimes, the accuser makes this disclosure directly to a law enforcement agency like the Columbus Division of Police or the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. Other times, the accuser might tell a friend or family member what happened to them. In still other cases, the accuser tells someone who is a mandatory reporter, who then tells the police.

Once the alleged crime is reported, law enforcement will move quickly to collect and preserve as much evidence as possible. Such evidence could include:

Medical Evidence

Biological Samples

Law enforcement might collect unwashed undergarments, bedding, and clothing that could have the suspect’s DNA on them. For example, if the accuser claims sexual intercourse took place, and they have not washed their undergarments, law enforcement might seize them and test them for the presence of seminal fluid.

The Accuser’s Statement

Officers will attempt to interview the accuser and obtain as detailed a statement as possible about what happened. In doing so, officers are attempting to uncover additional witnesses who may have information or other leads that could corroborate the accuser’s story.

Corroborating Evidence

How You Can Defend Against Sex Crime Charges With Our Help

The attorneys at The Law Offices of Saia, Marrocco & Jensen Inc. are experienced Columbus litigators. We have represented numerous individuals charged with high-level sex offenses before the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. We know what evidence the prosecution will bring against you and, more importantly, how to counter it.

Some strategies we have used to defend clients against these insidious charges include:

• Highlighting witnesses’ lack of credibility and impartiality
• Exposing a witness’s motivation to lie
• Pushing back against unsupported evidentiary inferences
• Focusing on any lack of physical evidence

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to handling sex crime charges. It is essential that you have a competent and skilled attorney who can look at the available evidence and determine the best way to respond to the allegations. In Columbus, your criminal defense attorney from The Law Offices of Saia, Marrocco & Jensen Inc. fits the bill.

Schedule Your Free Initial Consultation Today

The Law Offices of Saia, Marrocco & Jensen Inc. are available to consult with you about your Columbus sex crimes charges 24/7. Reach out to our office if you have been charged with a sex crime or believe you are under investigation for such an offense. We are here to serve and defend you.