Being accused of a criminal offense should not ever be taken lightly. An individual’s reputation and his or her family’s status in the community may be harmed even if a defendant is not convicted. It is important that when a defendant is accused of a serious criminal offense, such as child sexual assault, a strategic defense plan is developed to reduce possible penalties. Recently, a Wisconsin man was accused of several serious sex crimes.
A resident of Waukesha is accused of sexually assaulting a child, sexually assaulting a child under the age of 16 and assisting a child’s delinquency. According to a criminal complaint, three girls recently spent the night at the man’s home, and the man provided the girls with marijuana and alcohol. Police say that one of the girls told them she woke up to the man touching her. According to police, another teenager told them that the man gave her cough medicine and sleeping pills. That teen also told police that she had either woken up to something occurring or had woken up and suspected something had occurred.
If convicted, a person accused of a sex crime in Wisconsin may be placed on the state’s sex offender registry. Wisconsin’s registry gives the public access to the convicted person’s personal information, and also provides a way to track the person in the community. In most cases, men and women in the Wisconsin sex offender registry usually remain on the list for at least 15 years after being on parole. This may make it difficult for the defendant to find future employment and a place to live.
A strategic defense plan may significantly help a defendant who is accused of such a serious criminal offense. It is important to remember that all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty, and all defendants deserve a fair trial. These basic foundations, though, can only go so far without additional expert guidance. There are few exceptions to placement on the Wisconsin sex offender registry; therefore, aggressively avoiding conviction should serve as a top priority.
Source: 620 WTMJ Newsradio, “Waukesha man accused of sex assault at sleepover,” Lacey Crisp, March 26, 2013