Child Sex Abuse: Plea Bargain To Sexual Battery In Utah

Child Sex Abuse Case–What is a favorable plea bargain in a child sex abuse case in Utah.  For aggravated sexual abuse of a child, the punishment is severe, carrying a minimum-mandatory sentence of 6, 10 or 15-to life.   Can these severe punishments be avoided?  One of the best offers that someone can receive who is charged with a child sex offense is a Sexual Battery, a class A misdemeanor.  

A Sexual Battery is not a registerable offense, meaning a person does not have to register as a sex offender in Utah.  Conduct that supports a Sexual Battery charge is a person slapping another person on the butt at a bar.  As you can see, this is a favorable resolution to much more serious sex offenses involving a child.  These offers do not come along often and generally, a defendant should accept a deal such aas this.  A prosecutor is willing to offer a Sexual Battery when they have witness problems–a critical witness like the alleged victim is unavailable at trial–or their case falls apart for other reasons.

Child sex cases are difficult to try.  It is an uphill battle from the moment a judge announces the charges against the defendant.  Because of potential jurors’ distaste for child sex cases, it is often time-consuming to seat a jury on an aggravated sexual abuse of a child, rape of a child, sodomy upon a child or other child sex abuse charge.  The attorneys and judge spend a lot of time probing jurors for potential bias.

If you are charged with aggravated sexual abuse of a child, rape of a child, sodomy on a child or any child sex offense in Salt Lake City, Provo, Logan, Ogden, Tooele or any city in the State of Utah, contact me for a free consulatation.