Sex Crimes

Published on: March 9, 2015

Gainesville Swim Coach Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Porn

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A former Alachua County teacher and swim coach has been sentenced to 60 years in federal prison after he plead guilty to charges of producing child pornography.

In addition to the prison sentence, he was also ordered to pay $78,000 in restitution to each of his eight victims.

The 32-year-old pleaded guilty to the charges in September. The man was a behavioral resource teacher for kindergarten through fourth grade and a part-time coach of Gainesville swimming club.

When an individual is charged with a child pornography offense, one of the first lines of defense is to challenge any law enforcement searches or seizures that led to the discovery of images. When evidence is obtained for any crime without a property owner’s consent to search the property, it can be argued that the search has violated the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. When a violation of constitutional rights has occurred, suppression of all evidence seized is a likely possibility.

There are actually many possible defenses to child pornography charges. In certain scenarios, viruses may sometimes automatically download these illegal files to a computer without the owner’s knowledge. Other times, child pornography could have been placed on another person’s computer by someone else. It is even possible for an internet connection to be hijacked by other parties. An Alachua County Federal Child Pornography Defense Lawyer at Whittel & Melton can rifle through the often complex evidence in these types of cases and come up with the best strategy to challenge the government and protect your rights.

Published on: March 8, 2015

Clay County Sex Offender Jailed on New Charges

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A Clay County man who is already a registered sex offender is now back behind bars after authorities allege he attempted to sexually assault a minor.

The 58-year-old man has been jailed after allegedly attempting to contact the child through his cellphone and trying to entice the victim into sex acts, according to police.

Police said they obtained permission from the alleged victim to contact the man pretending to be the child.

The Sheriff’s Office also claims that at one point, the man met with the minor and tried to force his hands down his pants and touch him sexually.

The man was arrested for soliciting a child for unlawful sexual conduct using computer services or devices and attempted sexual battery and is being held on a $300,009 bond.

Currently, every state in the U.S. has a sex offender registration law on its books. While sex offender registration laws differ from state to state, every state requires that identifying information about a person convicted of sexual offense be given to state and local police departments. This information usually includes the following:

Legal name and all Aliases
Residence, Work and School Addresses
Palm Prints and Fingerprints
Physical Description along with Identifying Features, like a visible birthmark or tattoo.
Description of the Offense and Date of the Conviction
Description of where the Crime Occurred
Current Photograph
Copy of a Driver’s License, License Plate Number as well as a Description of all Vehicles Owned.
Person’s Social Security Number and Date of Birth
All Email Addressed, Online Screen Names, Social Network Handles or all other Online Identities Used

The local law enforcement agency where the registered sex offender resides must make the offender’s registration information available to the public, and post identifying information about the offender on a website that contains a nationwide sex offender database.

Published on: March 2, 2015

Ocala Man Arrested on Child Pornography Charges

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, police arrested an Ocala man Friday morning on 20 counts of possession of child pornography.

The 51-year-old man turned himself in at the Marion County Jail and was booked in at 10:45 a.m., according to the Sheriff’s Office.

He declined to speak with detectives.

The police began investigating the case after a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Police believe the man possessed child pornography and had transmitted it through his email for several years, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.

On Tuesday, authorities executed a search warrant at the man’s home where they seized several computers and cellphones containing “hundreds of child pornography images.”

The man was being held at the Marion County Jail on Friday in lieu of $200,000 bond.

Published on: February 12, 2015

Teen Accused of Pawing Students Charged with Simple Battery

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A 17-year-old Leesburg teen, who was expelled from Tavares High School for allegedly inappropriately touching female students, was arrested Friday for doing the same thing, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

The teen was charged with two counts of simple battery and trespassing. He remained in the Lake County jail Monday in lieu of $15,000 bail.

According to an arrest affidavit, the teen was a student at Tavares High, but was previously expelled for inappropriately touching female students. He was also trespassed from the facility.

He is accused of returning to the school on Friday at 7:15 a.m. where he allegedly hugged random girls.

“Statements were provided that he was asking the victims for ‘hugs,’ then he would grab their butts, and run his face in their breast area and try to kiss them …,” according to the affidavit.

The teen was arrested at 8:30 a.m.

He is scheduled for a court arraignment on Feb. 25.

Having a criminal conviction at a young age can negatively affect your child’s life for many years to come. Not only could they be facing jail time, but he or she could be denied college acceptances, driving privileges, jobs, student loans and other types of financial aid. A criminal conviction could even lead to your child getting suspended or expelled from school.

Juvenile Court is quite different from the adult legal system, but you need a Juvenile Criminal Defense Lawyer to help guide you through the system. There are things you need to know, like when your child will be released to you, the potential punishments and how the charge could impact the rest of your child’s life.

Published on: February 11, 2015

Former Law Dean Accused of Offering to Pay $100 for Sex Acts

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A former law dean was arrested on a charge of prostitution early Sunday after he allegedly responded to an ad on Backpage.com placed by undercover agents, according to an arrest affidavit.

The warrant alleges that the man’s arrest was part of ongoing effort to “combat the demand side of commercial sex trafficking.” The man accused is the former law dean of Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law and is the Judge William Hawley Atwell Chair of Constitutional Law at the school.

According to reports, the arrest warrant alleges that the man agreed to pay an undercover officer $100 in exchange for sex acts. He was among five men arrested in the decoy sting at the Aloft Frisco hotel in the Dallas suburb. The hotel apparently cooperated in the investigation.

The prostitution charge against the man is a Class B misdemeanor. He was released on $500 bond.

SMU did not renew the man’s contract as dean when it expired in May 2013. He remains a professor at the law school.

Published on: January 14, 2015

Lakeland Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Porn Charges

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A Lakeland man is facing up to 80 years in prison after pleading guilty to producing and transporting child pornography.

Reports indicate that the 40-year-old man accepted a guilty plea Monday in Tampa federal court. A date for his sentencing has yet to be set.

Prosecutors believe the man produced at least 50 sexually explicit videos of himself having sex with two children who were 2 and 13 months old.

Officials claim the alleged abuse began in 2012 when one child was under 6 months old.

Court records show the man filmed the acts with his cell phone and shared the video with at least 100 people.

The Department of Homeland Security began looking into the case in 2013.

Child pornography cases are all over the media today. We have all seen or heard of recent cases where individuals are sentenced to lengthy prison terms for possession, distribution and production of child pornography. Facing a federal sex crimes charge in Florida can be extremely frightening.

Due to the social stigma attached to child pornography accusations, our Polk County Criminal Defense Lawyers at Whittel & Melton understand how important it is to swiftly minimize the impact of a federal child pornography investigation or charge. We know that your family life, personal relationships and job are on the line and will fight for your rights throughout the entire process and will work vigorously to defend your rights.

Unfortunately, federal child pornography cases can be complex and difficult to defend. The government will not usually bring charges until they have conducted a lengthy investigation and are confident they have enough criminal evidence to succeed at trial.

Published on: January 9, 2015

Pasco County Teacher Accused of Having Sex with Student

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A 25-year-old Pasco County High School instructor has been placed on administrative leave after being arrested for unlawful sexual activity with a minor.

According to reports, the female teacher contacted the student at the school through Facebook messenger in early April. Deputies allege that she gave the victim her phone number and asked him to call her.

Deputies claim the pair met up at a park in New Port Richey and had sex. According to the arrest report, several more sexual encounters occurred between April and July.

Deputies said the teacher was 24-years-old at the time of the incidents and the victim was 17.

The teacher worked as a graduation enhancement instructor helping kids who are at risk of not graduating. She has been with the school district since April 2013.

The school board is expected to vote whether to suspend the woman without pay at its next meeting on January 20th.

The woman has been released from jail on $10,000 bond.

Sex crimes carry very harsh penalties, including mandatory registration as a sex offender, hefty fines, and depending on the specific charge, mandatory minimum prison sentences. It is absolutely necessary that you contact a criminal defense lawyer once you know that the police are investigating you for such a charge.

As a teacher in a public position, being accused of a sex crime can ultimately end your career. It is very important to get help from a Pasco County Criminal Defense Lawyer at Whittel & Melton as soon as possible due to the fact that consequences for a conviction of are severe. When facing these accusations, licensed professionals, like teachers, may suffer automatic revocation of their license.

Published on: January 8, 2015

Cruise Ship Worker Receives 30 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing Passenger

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A 29-year-old former crew member for Holland America Line was sentenced to 30 years and five months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for the attack and attempted murder of a female passenger last year, according to the US Department of Justice.

the man is an Indonesian citizen and according to FBI agents, admitted to entering the woman’s stateroom using his company-issued master key, and hiding on the balcony waiting for her to return.

The man said that before the attack, while delivering room service, the woman disrespected him and his parents by referring to him as a “son of a b____.”

The victim, a 32-year-old American woman, was assaulted by the man while on a seven-day western Caribbean charter cruise.

FBI agents said the man attacked the woman after she got into bed, choking and punching her numerous times. The man struck the woman with a laptop and curling iron, and tried to strangle her with a telephone cord and a curling iron cord. The victim was said to be unconscious at least once during the attack, at which time the man sexually assaulted her.

The man continued to attack the woman on the state room’s balcony where he tried to throw her overboard.

The woman was able to escape after stabbing the man with a corkscrew, according to the report.

According to Holland America Line, the man was immediately fired.

The company said the man was hired in 2012 after a careful screening that included a clean criminal history check. He apparently had good references and no prior performance issues.

The man did plead guilty to the attack in September. He will be deported after serving out his sentence.

People who are charged with sex crimes can expect to have their lives changed forever, as they will be subjected to invasive investigations and questioning by police. The media can also be quite intrusive once they catch wind of a sex crimes case. Because of this, it is always a good idea for a person to seek legal counsel from a knowledgeable attorney when arrested for or charged with a sex crime.

Published on: December 18, 2014

Uber Driver in Massachusetts Accused of Raping Passenger

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A Massachusetts Uber driver has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman who had used the ride-sharing service app to request a ride.

Authorities have reported that the 46-year-old man was arraigned Wednesday in Cambridge District Court. The Boston man pleaded not guilty to charges including rape and kidnapping.

Investigators believe the driver picked the woman up in Boston on Dec. 6. She had apparently summoned an Uber driver to take her to her Cambridge home.

Uber customers use a smartphone application to arrange and pay for rides with drivers that are in the surrounding area.

The woman told police that the driver told her he would need a cash payment, so he took her to an ATM.

Authorities claim he then drove her to a secluded location and sexually assaulted her.

Uber released a statement saying that they are working closely with law enforcement to assist in the investigation.

Sex crimes allegations are very serious crimes that will have a devastating impact on your future if you were to be convicted. Your career, your family, your freedom and your reputation could all be ruined and suffer permanent damage just from the mere accusation that any wrongdoing took place. Because of this, you must obtain legal protection against the prosecution.

Published on: November 21, 2014

Former Hillsborough County Teacher Arrested for Child Porn

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A Hillsborough County teacher resigned Wednesday after he was arrested on child pornography charges.

The 68-year-old resigned from his position with the school district following his arrest, according to a Hillsborough County School District spokeswoman.

Tampa police claim they started the investigation against the man after an iPod with “questionable” images surfaced. School security was unable to track down who the iPod belonged to.

Officers were called to the scene and obtained a search warrant for the device, then allegedly discovered several hundred images of young boys on the iPod.

The iPod was eventually tracked to the man’s IP address, according to detectives. His home was searched on Wednesday morning.

Police said the man admitted that the iPod belonged to him. He arrested and is facing seven counts of child pornography.

The man had been with the district since 1980, and for the last four years worked as a peer evaluator, giving teachers tips on what they could do better. He was not in direct contact with students while in that position.

The investigation is ongoing, according to police.

People tend to think that that their activities on the internet or on their cell phones, tablets, iPads and iPods are private. However, when authorities believe children are at risk, they respond immediately and usually quite aggressively. In fact, police frequently conduct undercover operations aimed at identifying child sexual predators.

Charges like child pornography can have a severe impact on a person’s life and career. In many cases, people can face disciplinary action at work before criminal proceedings have even been completed. If convicted, penalties are severe and may include jail or prison time, fines, registration as a sex offender, probation and more.