Category : Assault

Pennsylvania Child Sex Abuse Laws and Penn State Sex Abuse Scandal

Sex crimes of all nature, especially child sex abuse crimes, are considered very serious crimes in Pennsylvania. Under Pennsylvania Statutes Sections 3121-3130, you could be charged with the most serious felony crimes of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, institutional sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, or misdemeanor charges for indecent assault, indecent exposure, sexual intercourse with an animal or conduct relating to sex offenders. Prosecutors vigorously try these cases and courts are harsh on sentencing convicted sex offenders involving sex crimes against children. Prison sentences for the most serious sex felony crime convictions are lengthy ranging from maximum minimum 10 year sentences to 40 years for crimes involving rape and multiple deviate sexual intercourse charges involving minors, especially minors under 13 years of age and fines up to $100,000. Convicted sex offenders must register on the state sex offender registry after serving their sentences, which could affect where you can live and may affect other aspects of your life such as employment. Even if you are not accused of these offenses, you can still be charged with failing to report serious sex crimes to law enforcement and also be subject to perjury charges if you lie under oath about not having knowledge of such crimes.

Case Example

Former Penn State football defensive coordinator and assistant football coach Gerald “Jerry” Sandusky was arrested on November 5, 2011, accused of child sex abuse crimes involving eight boys over a time span of approximately 10 years. He was released on a $100,000 bond after the arraignment on 40 criminal counts according to the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. Charges include seven felony counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, corruption of minors, endangering the welfare of a child, indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor, single counts of aggravated indecent assault and attempted indecent assault. Sandusky is facing up to 20 years in prison for the seven felony counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse alone besides additional sentences for other charges if he is convicted. Mr. Sandusky denies the charges. Penn State athletic director Tim Curley, 57, and the University’s vice president for finance and business as well as having responsibility for overseeing the University Police Department, Gary Schultz, 62, have been charged with perjury and failing to report information they had regarding the sex abuse allegations.

At one time, Mr. Sandusky was considered to be a likely replacement for the legendary Joe Paterno, Penn State’s head coach position, prior to his retirement in 1999. After retiring from Penn State, Mr. Sandusky continued his work with at-risk-children through his non-profit organization Second Mile, which he founded in 1977. All of the victims in the case are alleged to have initially come into contact with Mr. Sandusky through his Second Mile organization. In 1999, Mr. Sandusky was banned from the Clinton County school district after the mother of an approximate 11 or 12 year old boy at the time reported to the high school that her son received expensive gifts and trips to sporting events and reported to her that he had been sexually assaulted by Mr. Sandusky during an overnight stay at his house. These charges triggered the State’s investigation into Mr. Sandusky’s current alleged sexual abuse charges.

Other allegations by a graduate assistant, Mr. Kelly, took place in 2002 when he reported that he saw Mr. Sandusky sexually assaulting a naked boy approximately 10 years old in a locker room of the Lasch Football Building located on the campus. He and his father reported the incident to Mr. Paterno, who then reported it to Mr. Curley, but it was not reported to any law enforcement agencies or Child Protective Service Agencies as required under Pennsylvania Law. Mr. Paterno has not been charged with any wrongdoing in the case according to prosecutors. Mr. Curley testified that he banned Mr. Sandusky from bringing any children onto the campus and that he reported the matter to Penn State President Graham Spanier. Mr. Sandusky was no longer coaching at Penn State during this time.

On November 9, 2011, Joe Paterno announced he was retiring at the end of the season, but the University made the decision to ask Paterno and President Spanier to leave effectively immediately, naming defensive coordinator Tom Bradley as the interim coach and provost Rodney Erickson as interim University President. With such a major scandal for a school that has maintained one of the most pristine images in college sports and one of four major schools that have never been found guilty of any major violations by the NCAA, this is a devastating blow. With the school’s reputation at stake, the University has hired their own investigator, former FBI director Louis Freeh, to conduct an independent investigation regarding the Sandusky child sex abuse allegations.

Hire an Attorney

If you are accused or charged with Pennsylvania sex crimes involving minors or other related sex offenses, these are very serious charges and require the assistance of a Pennsylvania Criminal Sexual Offense Attorney to defend you. The attorney understands the Pennsylvania laws and can aggressively defend you by interviewing witnesses and may be able to convince authorities and prosecutors to drop or dismiss charges against you, or in some cases, avoid charges from being filed against you if were falsely accused. The attorney may also be able to get charges filed against you reduced to a lesser crime such as indecent exposure or get you community service or probation.

Sources

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2011/1121/Penn-State-appoints-ex-FBI-director-to-lead-child-sex-abuse-investigation

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203716204577020001842475304.html

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/story/2011-11-05/penn-state-abuse-case/51083628/1

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7212054/key-dates-penn-state-nittany-lions-sex-abuse-case

http://deadspin.com/5859426/pa-criminal-attorney-on-sandusky-judge-i-have-never-had-a-client-who-was-charged-with-those-counts-released-on-unsecured-bail

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/nation-world-news/pa-sex-crime-laws-under-focus-with-abuse-case-1290464.html

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/Search/statuteSearchAction.cfm?maxfiles=10&autoStopLimit=1000&index=cons&request=rape

California Designer Convicted of Sexual Assault

A Beverly Hills fashion designer has just been found guilty of multiple counts of sexual assault that could result in him receiving a lifetime prison sentence. Anand Jon Alexander, 34, has been convicted of raping seven females, ranging in age from 14 to 21 years old. These sexual crimes occurred over a six-year span from 2002 to 2007.

While Alexander originally faced 23 felony charges, he was ultimately convicted of 16 counts, including:

• Forcible rape
• Sexual assault
• Battery

In addition to being known for his role on “America’s Next Top Model,” Alexander is also credited with designing for many popular celebrities, including Paris Hilton and Norah Jones.

The Trial and Evidence

Over two months of trial, prosecutors presented evidence of Alexander’s criminal activities, which included:

• Beating and, in some cases, drugging women before he raped them.
• Tricking females into coming back to his apartment by claiming that he wanted them to model for his clothing line.

As evidence, prosecutors (led by District Attorney Frances Young) called on nine of the female victims to testify.

While Alexander’s high-priced criminal defense attorneys tried to discredit the victims’ testimonies by claiming that they were lying to defame the defendant, the consistencies of the victims’ statements were enough to sway the jury and result in multiple convictions.

Sentencing and Further Trials

The sentencing phase of Alexander’s trial is scheduled to occur Jan. 13, 2009 at the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse.

However, Alexander’s recent convictions and pending sentencing in California are only the start of a series of trials this convict will face, as he has also been indicted in New York on nine other rape and sexual assault charges.

Similarly, Texas authorities in the Dallas area are still investigating allegations against Alexander. This investigation is also likely to result in another trial for Alexander.

(Source: Los Angeles Times, The Herald Sun)

Are You Facing Criminal Charges? If so, contact us today to talk to an experienced criminal law attorney who will provide you with the legal support you need to get your charges reduced, if not dropped altogether.

Los Angeles Cop Faces Sexual Assault Charges

An officer of the Los Angeles Police Department has recently been indicted on one misdemeanor charge, as well as three felony counts, for a series of sexual offenses he allegedly committed last year.

Officer Russell Mecano, 40, will be officially arraigned Dec.12 for:

• Misdemeanor solicitation
• Felony charges for sexual battery
• Felony charges for penetration with a foreign object by a public worker
• Felony charges for penetration of a foreign object via duress

If convicted on all counts, Mecano faces as much as 12 years in a California state prison.

Details of Mecano’s Crimes

1. May 28, 2007: According to prosecutors, Mecano allegedly blackmailed an 18-year old female, telling her that he would not arrest her for possession of drug paraphernalia (she was arrested with a marijuana pipe) if she would have sex with him. After sexually assaulting this woman behind a public library, authorities allege that Mecano then told the woman to meet him at a nearby motel.

Detectives didn’t elaborate on whether the woman complied or whether Mecano subsequently sexually assaulted her at another location.

2. October 2008: During this incident, Mecano allegedly blackmailed a 20-year old vagrant female for sex. According to police, Mecano told the woman he wouldn’t arrest her on battery charges if she would meet him at a nearby motel and have sex with him. Mecano supposedly gave the female about $200.

Rather than meet him at the motel, the woman hailed a cab and went to a neighboring city’s police department to report the crime.

Evidence Against Mecano

In addition to the victims’ testimony, prosecutors also have a number of cell phone records that confirm some of the details of these crimes.

Although further evidence will likely be presented in trial, Mecano has yet to confirm his innocence or his role in these incidents. Mecano’s claim to innocence or guilt is expected to be announced at his arraignment next month.

(Source: Los Angeles Times)

Are you in need of a criminal defense attorney? If so, contact us today to talk to an experienced professional who will provide you with the legal support you need to ensure your rights are protected.

Boston Man Files Suit Against City

A man who was wrongly convicted of a sexual assault crime and spent seven years as a registered sex offender, after being released from prison, was recently proved innocent.

The innocent victim is now filing a suit against the city for the ten years he wrongly spent behind bars.

Innocent Man Convicted

Guy Randolph, 50, was convicted of indecently assaulting a little girl and battery in 1991 and spent 10 years in jail for his supposed crimes.

After being released from jail and returning to his Hyde Park neighborhood, Randolph was registered as a convicted sex offender and the community branded him as an outcast.

Randolph and his mother were even told they weren’t allowed to be approved for public housing in the city.

Justice Served

In May, a Superior Court judge exonerated him after the district attorney’s office acknowledged his innocence.

His name was immediately taken off the Sex Offender Registry and the picture of him that hung in the Boston police station for years was finally removed.

Lawsuit Filed

Randolph has filed a suit against the city and is hoping to be compensated for all the time he lost while being in prison.

"I feel as though Guy deserves compensation" says his 74-year-old mother, who he lives with. "It’s owed to him. There are lots of things he missed out on."

(Source: The Boston Globe)

Have you or someone you know been accused of a crime you didn’t commit? If so, please contact us to speak with an experienced attorney who will evaluate your case and ensure that you receive the compensation you need and deserve.

Sacramento Falsely Reporting

ANTELOPE: A woman from Antelope, California might face criminal charges after confessing to Sheriff’s Department detectives that she told lies about being the victim of a sexual assault, and even fabricated a crime scene.

Woman Claimes She Was Sexually Assaulted in Home Burglary

This woman, 29 years old, told officers that she arrived home on September 17th to find two males burglarizing her home on Pepperidge Drive. According to Sergeant Tim Curran, the woman claimed that one of the men fled the scene but the other sexually assaulted her.

Inconsistencies in Victim’s Story and Evidence

Sergeant Curran could see multiple inconsistencies between the victim’s story and the available physical evidence. He claimed about the detectives, “A lot of it was just their instincts the day of the incident,” and “They had some questions in their minds and things just never added up.”

Woman Falsely Reports Crime

In a follow up interview, this woman admitted that she lied about the burglary and sexual assault, as well as her involvement in staging the crime scene. It is possible that this woman will be charged with Falsely Reporting a Crime, a misdemeanor in the State of California.