Frequently Asked Questions

• What constitutes a sex crime?

A sex crime is considered any unlawful act or illegal activity that is sexual in nature.  Sex crimes are generally committed against the victim’s will for the gratification and pleasure of the offender.   Attorney Thomas A. Brant defends people charged with the following sex crimes: child sexual abuse, child molestation, child pornography, date rape, exploitation, failure to register, indecent exposure, prostitution, rape, sexual assault, and statutory rape.

• What are the penalties of a sex crime?

The penalties for a sex crime depend on the seriousness of the charges.  For felony sex crimes, such as rape and child pornography, the penalties will be severe.  If you are convicted of a felony, you will be sentenced to many years in prison, large fines, restitution, mandatory counseling, and more.  In addition, you will have register as a sex offender for life.  Misdemeanor sex crimes, such as prostitution, can result in fines, community service, counseling, time in jail, and more.  Most misdemeanor sex offenses do not require registration as a sex offender.

• What is the sex offender registry?

The sex offender registry is a state-run system that keeps track of convicted sex offenders living in the state of Massachusetts.  When a person is convicted of a sex crime, he or she will be required to register as sex offender. This means they must report their name, date of birth, sex, race, eye color, social security number, address, and any other identifiable information to the sex offender registry board. 

• What is the difference between rape and statutory rape?

Rape is defined as forced sexual intercourse that is committed against the victim’s will.  Statutory rape refers to sexual intercourse between an adult a minor.  In some statutory rape cases, intercourse is non-consensual.  However, there are many cases in which the minor agrees to engage in sexual activity with an adult. This is very common in cases involving an adult (usually in their 20s) and an older teenager.  Even if the minor does consent, the adult can still be charged with statutory rape, since the law doesn’t consider minors old enough to give their legal consent over these matters.

• What if I was falsely accused?

If you have been falsely accused of a sex crime, it’s imperative that you speak with an attorney right away.  An experienced Boston sex crimes lawyer like Thomas A. Brant will know how to defend you against your accusations, and can take certain measures to prove the accusations cannot be back by evidence.   You can expect Mr. Brant to conduct his own investigation into your charges to prove that you did not commit the offense you were accused of.

Contact Boston Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer Thomas A. Brant today!