Sex crimes against children are viewed as particularly heinous under Georgia law. A person convicted of a first offense of child molestation is subject to no less than five years in prison and no more than 20 years on the sex crime charge. If, however, the victim of sexual molestation is between 14 and 16 years of age and the defendant is 18 or younger and not more than four years older than the victim, the person is only guilty of a misdemeanor.
Furthermore, a person convicted of aggravated child molestation is subject a penalty of life in prison or no less than 25 years. Under Georgia law, the sex crime of aggravated child molestation is defined as an offense of child molestation that physically injures a child or involves sodomy.
According to a recent news report, Eufaula police recently arrested a Georgia man for allegedly molesting three children on Christmas Eve last year. The 44-year-old Georgia man from Forrest Park was arrested in early March. Prosecutors have since charged the man with three felony counts of child sex abuse. Each of sex charges involve incident that allegedly occurred on the same day and involved a six-year-old girl, her six-year-old sister and her four-year-old brother. It has not been reported if the man has a criminal history of sexual assault against children or if this is his first time in court for sex crimes.
Accusations of child sexual abuse or vary serious. The sheer sensitivity of the charges can have devastating consequences on individual facing false accusations. Furthermore, in addition to jail time, individuals convicted of sex crimes are required to register with the state sexual offender registry. Even those who evade prison, registration can feel like a life sentence. Since the registry is public it can also have long-term consequences, negatively affecting a persons professional life as well as their personal life. Because of this, it is vital that anyone charged with a sex crime mount an aggressive criminal defense. A good criminal defense can make all the difference in the world.
Source: Dothan Eagle, “Georgia man charged with molesting three Eufaula siblings,” Matt Elofson, March 06, 2013
