Colorado Springs Online Solicitation Attorney
Charges of the online solicitation of a child have momentous consequences, with adverse impacts on the rest of the defendant’s life if convicted. Facing these charges can feel hopeless considering the grave consequences, but not all online solicitation charges in Colorado are valid. Police sting operations sometimes result in false allegations, misunderstandings of motive, or misrepresentations of what occurred. An immediate aggressive defense is not only warranted in these cases but vitally important to the rest of the accused person’s life.
Never face criminal charges without hiring an attorney from the first moment you’re charged or learn you are under investigation. Call Anaya & Chadderdon, P.C., the Colorado Springs criminal defense attorneys who take the most powerful, results-oriented defense approach for every accused client.
Why Choose Anaya & Chadderdon as Your Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyers for Online Solicitation Charges
Colorado takes sex crimes very seriously, particularly when they involve a child or underage minor. Facing these charges is beyond unsettling, requiring assertive, experienced defense by an attorney with experience in this unique area of Colorado criminal law. At Anaya & Chadderdon, P.C., we understand the gravity of your situation and offer advantages to your defense, including the following:
- Over 30 years of trial experience in Colorado criminal court with a proven success rate that includes thousands of negotiations, not-guilty verdicts, and dismissals
- A comprehensive defense strategy to support a client through all aspects of their case
- Skilled legal advocates who are ready to take a tough approach to defending your rights
- Attorneys who are former prosecutors with key insights into how to take on the tactics and arguments prosecutors are ready to use against you
If you’re facing an investigation or have already been charged with online solicitation, you cannot afford to wait for legal representation. Your future is at stake. We are ready to defend your legal rights with a strategy tailored to the unique circumstances of your case.
What Is Online Solicitation In Colorado?
Under CRS 18-7-202, charges of online solicitation in Colorado may refer to the act of arranging to meet another person for sexual prostitution or to arrange for another person to meet someone for prostitution. Often today, these exchanges occur online through social media, websites, email, or messaging. Online solicitation is a serious offense in Colorado, with severe consequences for conviction. A conviction could bring prison time as well as fines, probation, and mandatory counseling. If the online solicitation resulted in committing additional offenses, the charges become even more serious.
A charge of online solicitation for prostitution or other illegal activity has serious, lifelong consequences with conviction, but when the solicitation is of a minor, it’s a serious escalation of the charges and penalties.
What Is Internet Exploitation of a Child In Colorado?
Under Colorado law, committing internet exploitation of a child occurs when a person who is at least four years older than a child under the age of 15 uses the internet to entice or invite the child for any sexual purpose. Online child solicitation in Colorado is also known as the “internet luring of a child.”
Law enforcement officers in Denver and throughout Colorado regularly pose as underage minors to lure potential child predators online. Under Colorado § 16-11.7-102, the law states the following:
“ It shall not be an affirmative defense to this section that the child was actually a law enforcement officer posing a child under fifteen years of age.”
In addition, related charges could include:
- Child enticement: enticing a child to meet for sexual purposes
- Child pornography: creating, possessing, or distributing explicit photos of a minor
- Sexual assault on a child: If any physical contact occurred, the charges escalate to the most serious charges with severe penalties and lifelong repercussions
Inviting a minor to engage in sexual activity of any kind is a grave crime with life-altering adverse consequences for conviction including registry as a sex offender.
What Are the Penalties for a Conviction of Online Solicitation In Colorado Springs?
Online solicitation penalties depend largely on whether or not the target of the solicitation was an adult or a minor—regardless of whether or not the minor was pretending to be of age or an adult law enforcement officer was posing as a minor. A conviction for the solicitation of a prostitute in Colorado is a class 3 misdemeanor crime with fines of up to $5,000 or six months in prison, or both.
If the solicitation was of a minor (or adult law enforcement officer posing as a minor) penalties escalate substantially as a class 3 felony with four to eight years in prison, a year of parole, and fines of up to $750,000.
A conviction for either offense also has other implications, including registering as a sex offender and a permanent criminal record with impacts on the ability to work in certain fields, rent desirable housing, and the loss of financial aid for education. It also has significant adverse impacts on child custody.
What Defenses Are Available for Online Solicitation Charges In Colorado Springs?
Fortunately, all suspects charged with crimes have a right to a strong legal defense, including those charged with online solicitation. This sex crime charge all too frequently results from law enforcement’s elaborate online ruses used to facilitate their undercover investigations. In other cases, defendants were unaware that they were communicating with a minor and believed the person was a consenting adult. Common powerful defense strategies that can quickly achieve positive results include the following:
- Police entrapment: law enforcement officers sometimes use elaborately deceptive means to entice a defendant into taking action in a way that they never have before and never would have otherwise
- Lack of intent: the prosecution has the burden of proving that a defendant intended to follow through with actual sexual contact with the prostitute or minor when they may never have planned to really meet the person they were engaging with online or may have wanted to meet for reasons other than sexual contact or exploitation
- Misidentification: prosecutors face the task of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was the person engaging in the online solicitation when it may have been a case of mistaken identity
After your criminal defense attorney examines the prosecution’s case they can begin a prompt, aggressive defense by dismantling the foundation of the case through the best possible defense.
Don’t Wait! Call Anaya & Chadderdon, P.C. For an Experienced Online Solicitation Defense Attorney
At Anaya & Chadderdon, P.C., we understand what is at stake in your case. We are ready to put on an immediate powerful defense by asserting your rights with a strong strategy tailored to the unique circumstances of your case. Call our Colorado Springs criminal defense law firm today and set up a free consultation so we can take swift action on your behalf.