Sex Crime Defense Attorneys in Georgia

No arrest is more frightening or embarrassing than one for child molestation, pornography, or any sexual offense. Many metro Atlanta counties including Cobb, Cherokee, and Fulton have special investigators and prosecutors dedicated to sex crimes against women and children. Because these investigators and prosecutors are often the most experienced and highly trained, you need seasoned sex crime defense attorneys when facing a child-related or sexually-based criminal charge.

Criminal penalties for sexual offenses are harsh, but the public scorn and humiliation can be just as devastating. An arrest for child molestation or child pornography will likely make the news. At Kilgore & Rodriguez, our approach in challenging any child or sexually related charge is one of tenacity with discretion. Not only do we have the experience and skills to defend against these serious charges, but we also understand that your privacy and reputation need defending, too.

Marietta sex crime defense attorneys, Maddox Kilgore and Carlos Rodriguez have a strong, proven track record in defending sexual offense cases. Our knowledge of how prosecutors prepare sexual offense cases including rape, sexual assault, child pornography, and child prostitution, gives us the expertise needed to counter them in court.

It may feel like the deck is stacked against you as a suspect in a sexual offense case. Law enforcement may be predisposed to assume guilt, and only be concerned with discovering and securing evidence that points in that direction. Courts, influenced by strong public opinion, often levy harsh sentences to people convicted of sexual crimes. Kilgore & Rodriguez have the expertise and resources to develop successful defense strategies in Georgia sexual offense cases, including skilled jury consultants and compelling expert witnesses. Timely independent investigation is essential for sex crime defendants. We interview witnesses independently of the official police investigation to gather testimony which may be beneficial to you that law enforcement may have overlooked or chosen not to pursue.

Ultimately, jurors make decisions based on the evidence presented at trial. That means that the discovery process, which determines what evidence they see and how it is framed, is often tthe difference between a verdict of guilt or innocence. As established criminal defense attorneys in Cobb County, Kilgore & Rodriguez make extensive use of pretrial discovery motions to gain access to information that prosecutors may not have been legally required to share with the defense, such as privileged information about an accuser’s past. Our team also files motions to suppress illegally seized evidence – obtained as a result of an illegal search, illegal detention, or illegal interrogation – which can be critical in sexual offense cases.

Conviction of a sexual offense in Georgia can bring a lifetime of devastating consequences: extended imprisonment, large fines and mandatory registration as a sex offender. Sex crime convictions are punished with some of the harshest sentences possible, and individuals registered as sex offenders face extreme limitations on their activities and the places they may live, travel, or work. If you’ve been accused of a sexual offense, don’t delay in hiring an experienced sex crime defense attorney.

In Georgia, a person cannot consent to any act of sexual intimacy until his or her sixteenth birthday. That means ANY SEXUAL CONTACT with a child who has not yet turned sixteen (16) is a crime.

Child Molestation is any immoral or indecent act to or in the presence of or with any child under the age 16 with the intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desires of the person or the child. OCGA § 16-6-4 (a). Mandatory sentencing requires five (5) to twenty (20) years in prison AND registration as a sex-offender. Note: Ignorance of the child’s true age is not a defense even if a child lies about their age.

Aggravated Child Molestation is any act of child molestation which physically injures the child or involves an act of sodomy (oral or anal sex). OCGA § 16-6-4 (c). Mandatory sentencing requires Georgia judges to impose a minimum sentence of twenty-five (25) years in prison up to life in prison AND registration as a sex-offender. Note: The “injury” necessary to constitute aggravated child molestation can be slight and does not require medical testimony.

Sexual Battery is any intentional physical contact with the intimate parts of another person without their consent. OCGA § 16-6-22.1. Sexual Battery is punishable up to twelve (12) months in jail, unless the victim is a child under sixteen (16), which becomes punishable by up to five (5) years in prison AND registration as a sex-offender. Note: There is no requirement of “force” and even the inner thigh or buttocks can be considered “intimate parts” for purposes of the statute.

Aggravated Sexual Battery is the intentional penetration of another person’s genitals or anus with a foreign object and without that person’s consent. OCGA § 16-6-22.2. Mandatory sentencing requires Georgia judges to impose a minimum sentence of twenty- five (25) years in prison up to life in prison AND registration as a sex-offender. Note: There is no requirement of “force” or “injury” necessary to prove aggravated sexual battery.

Child Pornography is criminalized in Georgia as Sexual Exploitation of Children. OCGA § 16-12-100. Any knowing possession or control of material which depicts a minor, or a portion of a minor’s body, engaged in sexually explicit conduct constitutes Sexual Exploitation, and is punishable from five (5) to twenty (20) years in prison. Note: “Minor” means any person under the age of eighteen (18). Law enforcement officers have sophisticated software programs which monitor file-sharing internet sites. If a person downloads any image of child pornography from such a site, law enforcement officers obtain the ip: address and can then procure a search warrant for the individual’s computer, digital storage devices, or files stored in an off-site file hosting service.

Types of Sex Crime Cases We Serve