Sex crimes of all magnitudes carry with them serious consequences. Sex trafficking allegations are very serious. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for the Administration for Children and Families describes this sex crime as the forcing of an underage person to engage in a sex act for commercial purposes. Two Louisiana men were recently charged with this crime and could face serious punishments if they are convicted.
The two men allegedly forced two girls, aged sixteen and seventeen, into prostitution for the men’s profit. Law enforcement officials believe that the sex trafficking ring is larger than the two charged individuals and they are pursuing other leads to learn if more parties were involved.
Because minors are afforded certain protections under the law, these two men could be forced to endure long periods of imprisonment if they cannot successfully defend the charges brought against them. Though they may have defenses available to them that could eliminate or mitigate the charges they face, they will likely have to structure strong defense strategies with their criminal defense attorneys to ensure that the prosecutors prove their cases in full.
The failure of a prosecutor to prove the required elements of a criminal charge can lead to the dismissal of the allegation and freedom of the accused party. Criminal defense strategies for sex trafficking, prostitution, solicitation, and other sex crimes are often built directly on the facts and circumstances that arose from the incidents on which the criminal allegations were based. Attorneys who include the criminal defense of sex crimes are well-equipped to guide their clients through the challenging process of presenting the facts of their cases in the most favorable ways.
Source: nola.com, “State investigators rescue 2 teens and arrest 2 men for sex trafficking,” Marcia Clark, Nov. 4, 2016