BACK

26 Apr 2023

There is a wide range of sexual offences, including rape, sexual assault, child sexual abuse and grooming, as well as exploiting others for sex, whether in person or online through human trafficking, prostitution, pornography and obscenity. If you have been accused of a sexual offence, then you need to speak to us at ABV Solicitors and ask for a sexual offence solicitor to provide legal representation to help you avoid a conviction and achieve a positive outcome for your case. It may be that you unwittingly committed a crime, either because you misunderstood whether or not you had the consent of the complainant, you were out of control, or you were under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Alternatively, maybe a false allegation has been made against you. A false allegation can have life-changing effects; it can affect your job or career, especially if you work with children or the vulnerable. It can affect your relationship with your family and loved ones as well as your social reputation. The stress of a false allegation can also affect your mental health and well-being. If you have been falsely accused of a sexual offence, we will work to the best of our abilities to have the charges dropped so that you can continue with your life as usual.

Here at ABV Solicitors, our sexual offence solicitor will hear your side of the story, understand the allegations that have been made against you and put the pieces together so that they can resolve the matter in your favour. Even if you have been cautioned for a sexual offence, this may involve being placed on the sex offender’s register; therefore, you must involve our sexual offence solicitor as soon as possible.

Our expert sexual offence solicitor will be available nationwide to advise and represent you at the police station. We will make sure that your rights are protected and that you are treated fairly throughout the process. We aim to have the charges dropped before they proceed any further; however, if the police believe that they have sufficient evidence against you, then you can be taken to court.

The three types of offence

There are three categories of criminal offences, summary-only, either-way and indictable-only. Summary-only offences are minor criminal offences such as common assault, using threatening behaviour, harassment (not involving fear of violence) and stalking (not involving fear of violence or serious alarm or distress). These are tried in the Magistrates’ Court. Indictable-only offences involve the highest level of criminal activity, including murder, manslaughter and sexual offences involving penetration, including rape. These are tried in the Crown Court. Either-way offences vary from crime to crime and include different forms of sexual assault, exposure, and voyeurism and can be tried in the Magistrates’ Court or the Crown Court. If you are charged with an indictable-only offence such as rape, you will first appear before the Magistrates’ Court, but the case will then be sent to the Crown Court. Our sexual offence solicitor will provide you with expert representation at both the Magistrates’ Court and the Crown Court for minimum sentencing and to achieve the best possible outcome for your case.