A 41-year-old Mission Viejo man is facing criminal charges after police say they found him nude outside a home. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the man now faces charges for indecent exposure, lewd conduct in a public place, and knowingly and intentionally exposing his genitalia, all of which are misdemeanors. The man has pleaded not guilty to all three charges. A woman told police that the man approached her wearing only a shirt.
According to California Penal Code Section 314, an individual who “exposes his person, or the private parts thereof, in any public place, or in a place where there are present other persons to be offended or annoyed thereby” is guilty of committing indecent exposure. To prove that a person committed indecent exposure or was involved in lewd conduct, the prosecutor must prove that the person knowingly and intentionally exposed himself, that he knew about the presence of others in the area, and that he intended to offend and/or annoy the people in the area.
Indecent exposure or lewd conduct, although they are misdemeanors, can have serious personal and professional consequences for defendants. Repeat offenders could face jail time, fines, and other penalties. Those facing these criminal charges would be well advised to contact an experienced lawyer who will fight to have the charges dismissed.
The experienced Mission Viejo lewd conduct defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman have a long and successful track record of defending lewd conduct charges. Please contact us at (800) 349-1619 to discuss your case at absolutely no cost.
A 25-year-old male schoolteacher in Irvine has been arrested on suspicion of sending nude photos of himself to an underage female student at the school. According to a news report in The Los Angeles Times, the teacher at the private high school was taken into custody when he arrived at a pizza restaurant expecting to meet the 15-year-old girl. Instead, federal and local authorities were waiting for him. Officials believe there may have been other victims.
The arrest is the latest in a series of cases involving teachers across Southern California. Federal officials with the Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force have made approximately 15 similar arrests just in the last eight months, including a recent arrest concerning lewd acts by an El Rancho teacher.
Most of the recent cases discussed in this news report have to do with schoolteachers having inappropriate relationships with students or being involved in lewd conduct with students. These sex crime charges are extremely serious and can be career ending for teachers in particular. A teacher could lose his or her professional license and be required to register as a sex offender if convicted of a sex crime.
If you or a loved one is facing these serious charges, it is critical that you get an experienced lawyer on your side right away. If possible, an attorney should be involved even before charges are filed. The experienced Irvine sex crime defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman have a successful track record of protecting the rights of individuals facing criminal charges in Orange County. Please contact us at (800) 349-1619 before discussing your case with authorities.
A 73-year-old man was recently arrested on suspicion of committing a lewd act in front of preschool children in Orange County. According to a report by The Orange County Register, the alleged lewd act occurred in front of the Serra Catholic Preschool in Ladera Ranch. Officials say the man was seen with his hands down his pants watching children being dropped off at the preschool. The man admitted to watching the children from the school’s parking lot. It does not appear that any children were aware of the incident and it is not clear if the man has a history of similar incidents.
Under California Penal Code Section 647, anyone “who solicits anyone to engage in or who engages in lewd or dissolute conduct in any public place or in any place open to the public or exposed to public view” is guilty of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
In such cases, the prosecution will have to prove that the defendant was touching himself with the intent to sexually arouse or gratify himself or another person. Was the defendant aware that people could see him? Was he aware that people could be offended by his actions?
This type of crime can result in jail time and heavy fines and in addition, it can also tarnish an individual’s reputation and social standing. Anyone facing these types of charges would be well advised to immediately contact an experienced criminal defense lawyer who will protect his or her best interests.
The experienced Orange County sex crime defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman have a proven track record of handling lewd act and other sex crime cases in Orange County. Please contact us at (800) 349-1619 to find out how we can help build your defense.
A 32-year-old male teacher has been arrested for allegedly kissing and hugging a 14-year-old female student. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the El Rancho Charter School teacher faces two felony counts of lewd and lascivious acts upon a child between 14 and 15 years of age. Officials say the man was developing a relationship with the student by sending texts and emails. The girl’s mother claims that he had kissed the girl at another student’s home. If convicted, the man faces up to three years and eight months in state prison as well as a mandatory lifelong registration as a sex offender.
Those facing lewd conduct charges in Orange County are subjected to California Penal Code Section 288, which states: “Any person who willfully and lewdly commits any lewd or lascivious act, including any of the acts constituting other crimes provided for in Part 1, upon or with the body, or any part or member thereof, of a child … with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust, passions, or sexual desires of that person or the child, is guilty of a felony.”
Additionally, under Section 288(c)(1), “Any person who commits an act described in subdivision (a) with the intent described in that subdivision, and the victim is a child of 14 or 15 years, and that person is at least 10 years older than the child, is guilty of a public offense.”
These types of allegations can have a significant impact on the defendant’s social and professional life. Anyone charged with a sex crime, particularly one involving a minor, is likely to struggle to obtain or retain a job working with or around children. While it is important to protect the children of Orange County, it is also important that those wrongfully accused of sex crimes receive a fair trial and an opportunity to tell their side of the story.
The skilled Orange County sex crime defense attorneys at the law offices of Jeremy Goldman have a long history of successfully handling a variety of criminal cases in Orange County. If you or a loved one has been charged with a sex crime in Orange County, please contact us at (800) 349-1619 for a free and comprehensive case evaluation.
A school bus driver from Laguna Hills has been placed under arrest for the molestation of three children under the age of 14 over the past several weeks. The 37-year-old bus driver had been in the business over the past 12 years and has driven buses for several schools across Orange County, according to KTLA 5.
The crimes were reportedly committed at the man’s Laguna Hills apartment, with the victims described as a boy and girl under the age of 14 and a three-year-old girl. The man was brought to the attention of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department after one of the victims told a family member about what had happened, who quickly reported the incident to the department. According to The OC Register, the victims were not involved with the man through his work as a school bus driver, but were instead the children of parents he had gained the trust of in order to be left in charge of them.
Sheriffs are concerned that there may be more victims, especially since his career continually put him in close proximity to children. He is currently in custody under $100,000 bail and awaits Orange County sex crime charges concerning lewd and lascivious acts with a minor.
Child molestation is an incredibly serious charge in California and, under California Penal Code 288 (a), can result in imprisonment for three, six, or eight years for one count of a lewd or lascivious act with a minor.
Any child molestation charge can result in severe legal punishment that can have a lifelong impact on a person’s life well after he or she has completed their penalties. The Orange County child molestation lawyers with the Law Offices of Jeremy Goldman can defend you in court against harsh and long lasting punishments. For more information, call us today at (800) 349-1619.
In April, Orange County banned registered sex offenders from county beaches, parks, and harbors. Since then, Orange, Fullerton, Tustin, Westminster, La Habra, and Los Alamitos have either enacted their own sex offender ordinance or adopted one similar to the county’s ban. Now joining these OC cities is Huntington Beach, according to The OC Register. The city ordinance was approved by a 4-3 vote in the City Council.
It was a difficult decision for council members, some of whom were torn and even emotional when discussing the issue. While some believed a strict rule necessary, others questioned whether implementing such a broad ordinance would have the desired effect. One of the dissenting council members did not believe violent offenders would be discouraged by such a ban.
During the debate over the blanket ordinance, other possibilities were suggested to create a partial ban. For example, city staff proposed exceptions for offenders who were legal guardians or parents and/or for city employees who worked in parks. A council member supported an ordinance for no loitering in parks but did not find it necessary to ban offenders who may have committed a crime in the past, but now have children. None of these exceptions were written into the new ordinance.
These new sex offender ordinances are at the tail-end of recent debates on whether sex offender laws in California and throughout the country have become too broad and may end up targeting the wrong people. Sex crimes, especially those involving children, are some of the most aggressively prosecuted crimes in the nation. Debates on the constitutionality of sex offender laws will not change that. If you have been charged with a sex crime in Southern California, contact the experienced Huntington Beach sex crime defense attorney Jeremy N. Goldman to learn more about your legal rights and options. Call (800) 349-1619 today for a consultation.
Several city councils in Orange County, including Rancho Santa Margarita and Westminster, are considering ordinances to ban registered sex offenders from visiting city parks, according to The OC Register. The bans are similar to the one passed last year by the Orange County Board of Supervisors, which prevents registered sex offenders from visiting county parks.
On June 9, the Rancho Santa Margarita city council voted unanimously to draft a sex-offender-banning ordinance after only briefly considering the measure. Meanwhile, Westminster’s city council considered a ban that would prevent registered sex offenders from entering city parks unless they had written permission from the Westminster Police Department to do so. Approximately 137 people are listed as “registered sex offenders” in Westminster, according to the city’s police department. The Westminster ordinance includes up to six months in jail and a $500 fine for any violations.
Other local cities are considering similar measures. Dana Point’s city council may discuss a similar ban at its June 13 meeting. The county ban prevents those registered as sex offenders from visiting Dana Point Harbor, but at least one city council member wants a similar ban in place for the city’s 23 public parks as well.
A sex offender conviction in California carries steep, life-changing penalties. It can permanently limit a person’s abilities to visit many public places or to live near schools, churches, or other community gathering places. If you have been charged with a sex offense, the experienced Orange County sex crime defense lawyers at The Law Offices of Jeremy N. Goldman can help. To learn more, call us today at 1-800-349-1619 for a confidential consultation.
The California State Senate passed a bill that would increase prison sentences and lengthen the amount of parole for individuals that commit certain sex crimes against minors, according to CNN.com.
Under the bill, any rapes, lewd and lascivious acts, or continuous sexual abuse of a child committed during a kidnapping or burglary or that resulted in bodily injury committed against minors could carry lifetime sentences without the possibility of parole. Any continuous sexual abuse of a child or other sex crimes committed against children younger than 14 would result in lifetime imprisonment. The bill also makes it a crime for registered sex offenders to enter parks where children gather.
The bill is named “Chelsea’s Law” after a teen that was raped and murdered by a convicted sex offender. If the bill passes the Assembly, it will most likely be signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger. Critics of the law claim that it is a one-size-fits-all bill, and that it is too expensive for the fiscally devastated state to pay for.
Penalties for committing California sex crimes are getting harsher. Being convicted as a sex criminal can have lifelong consequences. Databases of registered sex offenders are posted online, making it hard for sex offenders to re-enter society once being released from prison.
If you have been accused of a sex crime in Orange County, it’s imperative to find an experienced California criminal defense attorney. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeremy N. Goldman have extensive experience with a variety of crimes, and understand how important each case is to the people involved. Call us today at 800-349-1619 for a free consultation.
According to an article in the Orange County Register, a retired priest is a suspect in the molestation case of a young boy dating back 18 years. The retired priest is accused of allegedly molesting a boy for three years while he was a clergyman at St. John the Baptist Catholic School.
The suspect waived his right to a preliminary hearing, which would have potentially provided grounds for the dismissal of the case. The article reports that the suspect acknowledges that sufficient evidence exists for his criminal case to go to trial.
Seven years earlier, the priest was charged with molesting a different young boy between 1978 and 1981 in St. John the Baptist Parish. The Orange County Diocese placed the priest in counseling and on administrative leave to deal with the allegations of sexual abuse.
The Roman Catholic Church has paid over $4 million dollars to fight sex abuse claims on behalf of the priest, and in February 2009, the diocese had settled a previous charge of sexual misconduct against the priest. The priest could serve 14 years in prison if he is convicted on this charge.
California child molestation allegations are serious charges that expose a person not only to the risk of lengthy imprisonment sentences, but also to a damage of reputation in society, even if a person is innocent. Being convicted of a child molestation offense requires that a person register permanently in society as a sex offender.
If you have been accused of committing child molestation in Orange County, you need an attorney who is capable of skillfully handling complex sexual abuse charges with expertise and care immediately to provide a solid legal defense. The Costa Mesa child molestation defense attorneys at the Law Offices of Jeremy N. Goldman will work aggressively to provide a strategic defense against the child molestation charges being held against you. Contact the Law Offices of Jeremy N. Goldman today at 949-622-5417 for your free legal consultation.
The California legislature is working on a bill that forbids Orange County child sex offenders and other offenders throughout the state from using social sites such as Facebook or MySpace. The bill allows social networking for job related purposes if prior permission is given, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Opponents to the bill argue that time would be better spent making visits to the residences of sex offenders, since that could show proof of contacts with children or child pornography. In addition, all offenders would need to do is use a public computer and a fake name and they would become virtually impossible to catch. Opponents also point out that with the variety of social networking sites available, there are serious time constraints for parole agents. Sex offenders also need the Internet to look for employment.
Candidates for California state attorney general have rushed to support the measure. Another California lawmaker has introduced a separate piece of legislation that requires registered sex offenders to provide their email addresses, user names and any social networking sites they use. Therefore, they could be removed from those websites.
Increasingly in today’s society, once a person becomes a registered sex offender, even if for a non-violent consensual crime, that person’s rights become severely limited. This is one reason why it is important to obtain a highly skilled Anaheim sex crime attorney to represent you from the beginning if you are ever charged with a sex crime.
The Orange County criminal defense lawyers at The Law Offices of Jeremy N. Goldman will strive to present a strong legal defense on your behalf if you are ever accused of a sex crime. Contact our legal team today at 949-622-5417 for a free consultation.
