What to know if being accused of a sex crime

San Diego criminal defense lawyer Stefano Molea provides valuable information on how sex crime investigations work and what to know in order to protect your constitutional rights. Office Address: Law Office of David P. Shapiro 3500 5th Avenue Suite 304 San Diego, CA 92103 619-295-3555 https://www.davidpshapirolaw.com/ Hi, Stefano Molea, senior criminal defense lawyer and partner at the law office of David P. Shapiro, where we help good people regain control of their future when charged with a crime. Being accused of a sex crime is extremely serious. In this video, I want to provide some information about how these investigations work and ways one can assert his or her constitutional rights at very critical stages. What we will be discussing today applies to really any sex crime, whether the complaining witness is an adult or under 18 years of age. First, the basics. Any statements made by a possible defendant, whether it is to a friend, a family member, and especially to the complaining witness or law enforcement, can and will be used against them in their prosecution. Sometimes the situation may start off as a "he said, she said," and then evolve into an unfavorable situation because of the way that the accused made statements. You see, there is a concept called corroboration, which means that a prosecutor will look for any way to substantiate or support what the complaining witness is saying. One important tool that law enforcement is able to use is recorded statements. For example, the complaining witness may call the accused to try to get the accused to talk about the alleged offense. Usually, the complaining witness will have the detective next to him or her recording the conversation and coaching the witness on what to say or how to say it. This is totally legal. Another way law enforcement gets corroboration is if the accused speaks to them directly. That's an obvious one. Yet another way, and one that is very powerful, is to ask and receive DNA from the accused. Law enforcement and prosecutors know that DNA is a powerful piece of evidence for jurors, even though it's far from perfect. If you're accused of a crime, even if you're absolutely innocent, speak to a criminal defense attorney first, even if you didn't have to, you would still carry car insurance, right? Then why try to navigate the criminal justice system alone, where a charge can cost you a lot more than just money? Have questions. Give me a call. Stefano Molea, senior criminal defense lawyer, 619-295-3555.