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Enticing a Minor Attorney in Utah - Wasatch Defense Lawyers

Navigating the Criminal Justice System when Accused of Enticing a Minor Over the Internet

The FBI has implemented sting operations, in coordination with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force, for well over a decade. In these stings, an FBI agent or ICAC agent pose as either a 13-year-old minor. Their preferred method of searching for potential offenders is by seeking contact with men (99.9% of offenders are male) on legitimate, 18 years old or older, dating sites.

There are two primary dating sites law enforcement scans. Tinder, for heterosexuals, and, Grinder, for gay persons. Initially, a mundane conversation begins on these legitimate dating sites. But, very rapidly, the FBI/ICAC agents lure people on these sites into sexually charged conversations with one particular and highly illegal component … that is, they say they are 13 years of age.

Once law enforcement declares that they are 13 years old, most individuals immediately discontinue any further conversations. They don’t just walk away from these chats, they run. However, a small percentage of men will move forward and engage in very sexually charged conversations by text, email, and/or phone conversations. These interactions can take place over a few hours, or, in some cases, weeks or months.  And the FBI/ICAC team are masters at stringing along with an interest in a sexual encounter with a minor without entrapping someone. That is, they allow the suspect to make all the sexual comments, they want to build a case that shows that these men are dead serious about a sexual encounter.

The task force asks for photos, and most suspects are more than willing to provide not only pictures of their face, but, often, of their genitals. At this point, authorities move into position for a “meet”. By the time a suspect arrives, multiple agents are in position to apprehend the individuals whom they have drawn out. And, when the suspect arrives, he is met with overwhelming force … guns drawn … a massive “takedown”.

Even at this stage, a suspect can invoke their right against self-incrimination and ask for a lawyer. But the vast majority do not invoke their rights. Instead, they try to talk their way out of trouble and dig themselves further and further into trouble. In particular, the authorities use an ingenious tool. They tell the suspect that he will not go to jail if he writes an “apology letter” to the parents of the fictitious minor child. This amounts to an ironclad signed letter of confession in a court of law and now these men face 2nd-degree felonies, enticing a minor over the internet, which carries a maximum of 15 years in prison.

Get Immediate Assistance from an Enticement Defense Lawyer Today!

What do you do next? When the full force of the investigative power of the FBI and the ICAC task force have come down upon you, what is the next step? What are your options? First, and foremost, a reasonable bail must be established so you don’t stay in jail as you fight the case. Secondly, we enroll you in intensive out-patient treatment with a licensed sex offense therapist (this is proactive and impresses the judge).

And, finally, negotiations with the prosecutors are conducted with three primary concerns in mind

  1. Is the client going to be a registered sex offender for life?
  2. Is the client going to have a permanent felony record?
  3. Is the client going to jail or prison?

Each year, our office handles more than 50 enticing cases. So, we know what we are doing and have a plan of action that has produced excellent results. That is, less than 1% of clients accused of this offense are ever incarcerated. Which offers peace of mind to our clients. Ultimately, with our help, this is NOT the end of your world. You can, with our expertise, mitigate, and, in some cases, eliminate, the negative fall-out of a conviction.

If you are facing an allegation of enticement and need to navigate through your circumstances successfully, Wasatch Defense Lawyers is your team. Call us right away and set up a consultation at no charge. You will immediately unburden yourself of your greatest concerns and put yourself on track to successfully move forward with your life.

 

Craig R. Chlarson

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