You can trust our criminal defense lawyers to defend your sex crime charges, including sexting

At the criminal law firm of Shannon & Associates, P.C., we take a sensible approach to handling client matters by creating a comfortable, nonjudgmental environment where it is easy for you to confidently discuss the delicate issues involved if you were accused of a sex crime. In 2011, for the first time in five years, Virginia sex offenses increased by one percent from the previous year. Of the 4,768 forcible sex offenses reported, the victim was female in 85 percent of the cases. Whether you are male or female, if you are charged with a sex crime, you are accused of performing a sexual act on a person without their consent.
Contact us at (757) 228-5529 or online and we will respond to you within 24 hours.

We provide effective legal counsel for sex crimes without any embarrassment

Our criminal defense attorneys are people you can turn to if you were charged with a sex crime or a violent crime. Sex crimes involve delicate facts and circumstances. You can be charged and convicted even if no sex act actually occurred — your attempt to commit a sexual offense is all it takes. If the charges result in a conviction, registration with the Virginia Sex Offender Registry is mandatory. Sexual offenses in Virginia include:

Registration in the Virginia Sex Offender Registry is mandatory

Sex offenders must, by law, register in the Virginia Sex Offender Registry. Sex offenders who intentionally do not comply with the mandatory registration requirements by failing to register or providing false information face serious consequences, including returning to prison or jail.

Sex crime laws in Virginia treat minors and adult offenders equally

An alarmingly large number of teenagers in Virginia and around the country engage in sexting: the electronic transfer of sexually explicit images. Because of its popularity among teenagers, sexting among them is actually child pornography no matter how consensual it may be. Most of the time, the transfer occurs from cell phone devices between classmates, friends and couples. Parents are simply not aware that their kids are actually committing felonies and run the risk of imprisonment and mandatory registration in the Virginia Sex Offender Registry.

For example, if a high school student consensually takes three sexually explicit photos of his girlfriend, makes a video on his smartphone and then texts all three photos and one video to five of his buddies’ cell phones and emails them to his home computer, he has violated all three Virginia child pornography statutes and committed no less than 36 counts of child pornography as follows:

• Production: One count per photo and video (for a total of 4 counts)
• Possession: One count per photo and video multiplied by the number of devices —in this case, his cell phone and his home computer, from which he can retrieve them (4 x 2 = 8 counts)
• Distribution: One count per photo and video multiplied by the number of recipients (4 x 6 = 24 counts)

Legal consequences for sex crimes in the Chesapeake and Virginia Beach areas will affect you forever, so trust our experienced attorneys to defend your case

The Chesapeake-based law office of Shannon & Associates, P.C. serves the Norfolk and Virginia Beach communities. We are located near the Greenbrier Mall, close to I-64. As with all criminal cases at our firm, your first consultation is free. You can reach us at (757) 228-5529 or online and we will respond to you within 24 hours.