Houston Indecency with a Child Attorney

Indecency with a Child Attorneys Serving Houston and Surrounding Areas

What we call child molestation in everyday language is legally called Indecency with a Child under Texas law. Indecency with a Child is divided into two specific crimes: Indecency with a Child by Contact, which involves touching, and Indecency with a Child by Exposure, which is exposing without touching.  Both apply in relation to a child younger than 17, of the same or opposite sex, with the intent to arouse or gratify any person’s sexual desire. You will need a representative to defend you if accused, and our Houston indecency with a child attorney will fight for you!

Both these charges are felonies, with Indecency with a Child by Contact being the more serious of the two, a second-degree felony. This means the punishment range is from 2 years to 20 years in prison with a possible $10,000 fine and requires the person to register as a sex offender for life. Indecency with a Child by Exposure is a third-degree felony. This carries a punishment range of 2 years to 10 years in prison and a possible $10,000 fine. It also requires the person to register for 10 years after the completion of their prison sentence or period of community supervision.

Indecency with a Child by Contact

The offense of Indecency with a Child by Contact includes

  • Any touching by a person, including touching through clothing, of the anus, breast, or any part of the genitals of a child with the intent to arouse or gratify any person’s sexual desire
  • Any touching of any part of the body of a child, including touching through clothing, with the anus, breast, or any part of the genitals of a person with the intent to arouse or gratify any person’s sexual desire

Indecency with a Child by Exposure

Indecency with a Child by Exposure includes:

  • The person exposes their anus or any part of the  genitals, knowing the child is present, with the intent to arouse or gratify any person’s sexual desire
  • The person causes the child to expose the child’s anus or any part of the child’s genitals, with the intent to arouse or gratify any person’s sexual desire

CONTACT HOUSTON INDECENCY WITH A CHILD ATTORNEY, PAUL DARROW

If you’ve been accused of Indecency with a Child, not only are you facing the possibility of many years in prison, it is possible you will lose your reputation with friends and family as well.  It is essential that you get an experienced sex crimes defense lawyer on your side immediately to protect your constitutional rights throughout the process.  As soon as you know an accusation has been made against you, even if you have not yet been charged, you should have an experienced and aggressive Houston sex crimes attorney by your side whenever police attempt to question you.

Sex crimes against children are inherently different from many other criminal charges in that they stir emotions in a way that you seldom see in other crimes.  This often results in a person who is accused being presumed guilty by many on the basis of the accusation alone. Having a Houston indecency with a child lawyer committed to your best interest offers you the opportunity to avoid charges being filed, or if they are filed, having them dropped or reduced by defending your Constitutional rights.