A 30-year-old Anaheim man was arrested on suspicion of two counts of child molestation. Two boys, under the age of 16, have come forward and accused the youth soccer referee of molesting them near his home in Anaheim. The boys are not associated with the Huntington Beach soccer league, which reportedly the defendant was employed as a referee. Because the accused worked with youth as a referee, authorities are investigating any other potential victims.
Being arrested and charged with child molestation is one of the most serious crimes a person can face. Not only because of the serious nature and consequences of the crime, but also the effect that it has on a person’s life. Just the accusation alone can ruin a person’s reputation and damage relationships with family and friends.
An experienced criminal defense lawyer, with experience in sex crimes, should look at all possible motives for false accusations. Innocent people are falsely accused all the time, whether by mistake or on purpose. A false accusation could be the act of someone who is angry or vindictive against the accused and should not be discounted.
Fortunately, there are defenses to child molestation and effective strategies that an experienced criminal defense attorney can use to help clear their client of such a serious charge. Mistake in identity is not that uncommon, especially when young children are involved. Also, young children are easily influenced and convinced. In a situation where an adult may believe that something happened, that adult may question the child in such a way as to elicit an accusation. Also, in certain situations, a child will falsely accuse someone because they don’t want to say who the real perpetrator is.
Depending upon the specific accusations, a defense might be that there was no intent to cause sexual arousal or that the touching was accidental. These types of things can sometimes be exaggerated and blown out of proportion. These are the types of defenses that a criminal defense lawyer needs to aggressively pursue.
When someone is charged with this type of crime, there are so many details that must be addressed. When reviewing the police reports, witness statements and the statement of the victim, your lawyer should be looking for inconsistencies, errors and mistakes. Taking the prosecutions case apart, piece by piece, and investigating all aspects of the circumstances surrounding the initial accusation is extremely important and may result in a complete dismissal. Remember, often times there is no evidence and no witnesses and therefore, the prosecution is relying strictly on the testimony or statements of the accuser. As previously discussed, all facts surrounding the accusations need to be scrutinized to determine if the child has in any way been coerced or is for some reason, falsely accusing the defendant.
In situations where the evidence is overwhelmingly against the defendant, then it is the responsibility of the lawyer to do his best to present to the prosecution, or jury, the other side of that person. Let them know the good things about the defendant. Get character letters from friends, work associates, teachers or professors, anyone who knows the other side of the defendant. After presenting the defendant in the best light possible, a good defense lawyer should then fight aggressively to mitigate the amount of time the defendant will ultimately spend in prison.
If you or anyone you know has been arrested, or accused, of a sex crime, contact an aggressive criminal defense attorney in the County where the charges are pending and do not speak to anyone else, including the police, until speaking with an attorney first.
If you would like to know more about the charge of child molestation or sex crimes, contact Orange County Criminal Defense Attorney William M. Weinberg at his Irvine, CA office at 949-474-8008.