50 Men Charged With Enticement, and How to Avoid Their Fate

The Salt Lake City Police Department announced in September that its Organized Crime Squad has arrested 50 men charged with enticement over the course of the past year. This broke down to an average of nearly an arrest every week for alleged use of the Internet to entice children for sexual purposes.

The police said that those men ranged in age from 21 to 80.

It was just over a year ago that members of the city’s Organized Crime Squad and the Special Victims Unit of the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office began working together so the police could learn how to effectively pose online as kids. The concept was to attract the attention of adults who engaged in conversation with them for sexual purposes.

A Salt Lake City police spokesperson said that the evidence was so overwhelming against these men that most very quickly pleaded guilty. Among the highest profile cases was the charge of enticement brought against actor Stoney Westmoreland, who was in town filming when arrested.

How to Avoid Enticement Charges

The penalties, both legally and socially, can be incredibly stiff for the crime of enticement. That’s why it’s so important that you understand how to avoid this kind of charge. Here are a few key tips.

Understand what the charge involves. Knowing the details of the charge is a good way to avoid any activity that might lead to trouble. Enticing a minor involves an adult communicating through electronic means (usually via the Internet or by text message) with an underage person for the purpose of “exciting hope or desire” of a sexual nature. You’ll find more details on the charge and the penalties here.

Say nothing until consulting with your lawyer. Any criminal defense lawyer will tell you to never speak with the police after being charged with a crime before consulting your lawyer. This is especially true if you are ever charged with enticement. You have the legal right to remain silent and to request a phone call to a lawyer — and that’s exactly what you must do.

Hire an experienced Salt Lake City enticement lawyer. As mentioned earlier, the penalties for those charged with enticement can be severe. You’re also likely to pay a high social penalty in terms of reputation loss and by possibly putting your job and your family life in peril. That’s why you must fight back, but in a reasonable way. The first and most important step in that direction is to hire a criminal defense lawyer who has a specialty that includes sex crimes and, even more specifically, experience with enticement charges.

Call Wasatch Defense Lawyers if You’ve Been Charged with Enticement in Utah

Say nothing to the authorities if you’re charged with such a crime. Insist on first speaking with an experienced Salt Lake City enticement lawyer.

Then schedule an appointment by calling Wasatch Defense Lawyers at (801) 980-9965. We’ll start by listening carefully to your situation, asking questions and giving you a free and confidential case review.

In addition to our lengthy experience in this area of the law, we offer payment arrangements and military discounts. Call us today and let us help you or a loved one get through the entanglement of being charged with enticement in Salt Lake City.

Download PDF