Protect your rights, contact us today!
Protect your rights, contact us today!
Internet sex crime charges carry some of the harshest penalties in the criminal system, including years in prison and mandatory sex offender registration, and a great many of them begin with an online sting. The Law Office of Gregory Chancy defends charges involving online solicitation, electronic transmission of explicit material, and child exploitation allegations, looking hard at how the evidence was gathered and whether the conduct meets what the law actually requires. Call (770) 627-3221.
These cases usually start in one of two ways: a knock on the door, or the slow realization that the person you were messaging was never who they said they were. Internet sex crime charges frequently come out of online sting operations, where investigators pose as minors on apps and messaging platforms and wait. This page is for anyone who has been charged with, or is under investigation for, an online sexual offense and needs a defense lawyer now, not later.
Here is what makes these cases move so fast. The evidence is already sitting on a server and on your devices before you ever hear the word “investigation.” Your messages, your search history, the files on your phone, all of it is collected and read, and it becomes the spine of the case. That is exactly why the first move matters more than almost anything that comes after. Talk to a defense attorney before you talk to investigators, and before you hand over a phone or a password. What you say in the first hour can shape everything that follows.
This state prosecutes online sexual offenses against minors under several different statutes, and each one carries its own elements the state has to prove. Knowing which statute you are actually facing is the starting point of any defense, because the charges are not interchangeable.
The main one is O.C.G.A. § 16-12-100.2, electronic child exploitation, which covers using a device or the internet to solicit images, communicate with a child for sexual purposes, or transmit explicit material involving a minor. A second statute, O.C.G.A. § 16-12-100.1, makes it an offense for an adult to send sexually explicit material to a minor. A third, O.C.G.A. § 16-6-5, covers enticing a child for indecent purposes, and it carries an unusual requirement: the prosecution has to prove asportation, meaning an actual moving or taking of the child toward the act, not just a conversation about it. Under these statutes a child is defined as a minor under the age of 16. The charge you face decides the elements, and the elements are where a defense gets its footing.
The penalties here are severe, and they vary a lot depending on the exact charge. A felony conviction under the electronic exploitation statute can carry a prison sentence measured in years and heavy fines. Enticing a child for indecent purposes sits at the top end, with some of the longest sentences of any of these offenses, plus sex offender registration on conviction.
There is a narrow exception worth knowing about. In limited situations, such as cases involving consensual images between two people close in age, the offense can drop to a misdemeanor. But those circumstances are specific and far from automatic. For most of these charges, a conviction means registration as a sex offender, and registration reaches into where you can live, where you can work, and what shows up every time someone runs your name. Keeping a case from reaching the conviction that triggers all of that is usually the heart of the defense.
A strong defense in these cases is built on three things: the digital evidence, the conduct of the investigation, and the question of intent. Each one is a place to push back.
Because the case lives almost entirely in electronic records, the defense starts there. How were the messages and files obtained? Was the device searched lawfully, or did investigators cut a corner? Can the state actually prove that you were the person at the keyboard, rather than someone else with access to the account? In sting cases, entrapment moves to the center of the fight, because the real question becomes whether law enforcement talked someone into conduct they would never have engaged in otherwise. Intent and knowledge matter just as much, including whether the accused even knew the other person was a minor. None of this gets sorted out on its own. It takes an early, deliberate look at the record, and that early work is what separates a defensible case from a lost one.
The right time to involve a lawyer in one of these cases is the moment you sense it is happening, not after charges land. The Law Office of Gregory Chancy takes internet sex crime cases directly, digs into the digital evidence and the way the investigation was run, and handles the matter with the discretion it plainly requires.
Early counsel changes what is possible. A lawyer who is in the case from the start can manage contact with investigators, control how and whether devices and records are handed over, and in some situations work to keep charges from being filed at all. The longer the wait, the more the case gets built without anyone pushing back on it. Call (770) 627-3221 or use the contact form to start.
Gregory Chancy, Esq. is the attorney and founder of the Law Office of Gregory Chancy. He handles these cases with discretion and gives each client personal attention through every stage, and he is available for confidential consultations. An internet sex crime charge is as serious and as sensitive as a criminal case gets, and Gregory takes the time to understand the facts and to protect the client’s rights from the first call.
An internet sex crime is an offense involving the use of an electronic device or the internet for unlawful sexual conduct, usually involving a minor. Common examples include online solicitation, transmitting explicit material to a minor, and electronic child exploitation.
In a sting, investigators pose as minors online to build a case against an adult. These cases often raise entrapment questions, because the issue becomes whether law enforcement induced conduct that would not otherwise have happened.
Most of these convictions require registration as a sex offender, and that registration can last for years or for life. Keeping a case from reaching a conviction that triggers registration is often the central goal of the defense.
The prosecution generally has to prove intent and knowledge, so what the accused knew or should have known is frequently the heart of the case. These charges turn heavily on the specific facts and the digital record.
Talk to a defense attorney before you talk to investigators or agree to a search of your devices. What is said and found early can shape the whole case, and you have the right to have an attorney present.
The Law Office of Gregory Chancy defends internet sex crime cases across its service area. Call (770) 627-3221 to confirm the office covers your area and to set up a confidential consultation.
An internet sex crime charge starts doing damage the moment it surfaces, and the consequences can last a lifetime. The sooner the case is reviewed, the sooner a defense can take shape. Call (770) 627-3221 or send a message for a confidential consultation with an internet sex crime lawyer.
If you have been accused of an online sex crime in Atlanta, you need to speak with one of our experienced Sex Crime Defense Attorneys as quickly as possible. Our expert sex crime lawyers are your best chance at maintaining your innocence and preserving your current life. Do not delay in retaining the best sex crimes defense lawyer, as you read this the prosecution team is actively working on your criminal case so that they can land a conviction and put you in prison! For a sex crime attorney near you, call Cobb Criminal Defense today and receive a free consultation from our expert Internet Sex Crimes Attorneys.
If you have questions about your case or need immediate legal assistance, please complete the confidential contact form.