Some court cases, like traffic tickets, generally don't have major long-term impacts. You can contest it or pay the fine, then move on. Not so with sex crime cases. For those, you could be facing years in prison, massive fines, and sex offender registration. You need a sex crimes lawyer in Glendale, CA to help you handle these charges.
You need The Law Offices of David S. Chesley. Our criminal defense attorneys have over 50 years of combined courtroom experience and know how to defend against sex crimes in Glendale, CA. When you call us, you're getting a team that's ready to help, whatever you need.
We give you someone you can count on. Call (800) 755-5174 or reach out online to get help from your Glendale, CA, sex crimes lawyer.
President David S. Chesley, Glendale, CA, criminal defense since June 2005, SBN 236611.
Consequences of a Sex Crime Conviction in Glendale, CA
A sex crime charge is not a typical misdemeanor or even a typical felony. If convicted, you're facing:
- Months or even years behind bars
- Years (or even a lifetime) on the sex offender registry
- A social stigma that will follow you after release
- Employment, licensing, housing, custody, and immigration consequences
- Ongoing governmental supervision
Don't wait while the prosecution builds a case against you. Call your Glendale, CA, sex crimes lawyer and start building your defense now.
What to Do if You Have Been Accused of a Sex Crime in Glendale, CA
- Do not contact the accuser — for any reason whatsoever. That can be charged as witness intimidation or violating a protective order.
- Keep quiet during interrogations. Respectfully request to speak with your attorney.
- Do not consent to a phone or home search without a warrant and if you haven't had a chance to check with your Glendale, CA sex charges attorney.
- Gather any evidence you can find. Trying to delete or hide evidence can end up making you look more guilty.
- Write a private timeline for your lawyer only: The more your attorney knows, the better defense they can build.
- If given bail conditions, take every effort to adhere to them — breaking these can hurt your case.
- Get counselling/mental health support — look for local mental health resources to help cope with the stress of your case.
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Above all of the above, the main thing you need to do is get help from an expert Glendale, CA, sex crimes defense lawyer right away. .
Sex Crime Charges We Defend in Glendale, CA
Rape and Sexual Assault
It's hard to think of a crime that is publicly regarded as worse than rape in Glendale, CA. A conviction means up to 8 years in prison, as well as sex offender registration. Rape is one form of sexual assault. Sexual assault is not defined on its own in California law, but instead is a term used to describe a category of violent offenses of a sexual nature.
California used to have a separate law regarding spousal rape, but this was repealed in 2021.
Child Sex Crimes
Common charges include lewd acts with a child (PC § 288), continuous sexual abuse (PC § 288.5), annoying or molesting a child (PC § 647.6), oral copulation or penetration involving a minor, and enticing a minor (PC § 288.3) or arranging a meeting with a minor (PC § 288.4). California has no general "Romeo and Juliet" defense. Age, force, and the specific code section drive both prison exposure and the registration tier.
Statutory Rape
Not every statutory rape charge is the same, but all of them are serious. If the alleged victim was within 3 years of the alleged offender's age, it is a misdemeanor. Anything beyond that, and the prosecution has discretion to charge the crime as a felony. Additionally, there can be enhanced penalties if the alleged offender is over the age of 21 and the alleged victim is under the age of 16.
Online and Digital Sex Crimes
Internet sex crimes are unique in that they don't always involve a direct action being taken against the victim. For example, possession of child pornography is a crime whether or not you were the one to produce it. Possession can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony, while distribution or production is always a felony.
Indecent Exposure
Indecent exposure might not sound like as big of a deal as sex crimes like rape, but you can still face major consequences. This charge alleges that someone intentionally exposed their privates to another person in an offensive way. Most first offenses are only a misdemeanor, but aggravated or repeat convictions can be elevated to a felony. Additionally, even for a misdemeanor conviction, sex offender registration is required. To minimize your chance of long-term consequences, call your Glendale, CA, sex crimes lawyer right away.
Related Charges
In Glendale, CA, we also defend human trafficking (PC § 236.1), lewd conduct in public (PC § 647(a)), failure to register (PC § 290.018), prostitution and solicitation (PC § 647(b)), loitering with intent to commit prostitution (PC § 653.22), pimping/pandering (PC §§ 266h, 266i), incest (PC § 285), aggravated sexual assault of a child (PC § 269), and assault with intent to commit a sex offense (PC § 220). Those pages are linked from the list below.
Sex Crime Charges Our Lawyers Defend
Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child · AI-Generated / Deepfake Sexual Content · Annoying or Molesting a Child · Arranging a Meeting With a Minor · Assault with Intent to Commit a Sex Offense · Child Molestation (PC 288) · Child Pornography · Enticing a Minor · Failure to Register · Human Trafficking (Sex Trafficking) · Incest · Indecent Exposure · Lewd Acts · Lewd Conduct in Public · Loitering to Commit Prostitution · Oral Copulation by Force · Oral Copulation or Sodomy With a Minor · Penetration by Force · Pimping and Pandering · Prostitution / Solicitation · Rape · Revenge Porn · Sex With a Minor / Statutory Rape · Sexting Involving Minors · Sexual Abuse · Sexual Assault · Sexual Battery · Sodomy by Force
Will Help You Fight the Charges
Pre-filing and investigation. If you are being investigated but not yet charged in Glendale, CA court, we try to control contact with police, preserve favorable evidence, and, when appropriate, present a package that argues against filing.
Discovery and forensics. We obtain police reports, body-cam footage, SART/rape-kit notes, pretext-call recordings, phones, cloud accounts, and expert review of DNA, toxicology, and digital media. Many cases turn on delayed disclosure, inconsistent statements, suggestive interviewing of children, or missing intent.
Motions. Suppression. Motions can do many things for your case. One of the first motions we often file is a motion for bail reduction. This can help you secure pretrial release. After that, we'll frequently follow with a motion to suppress evidence and/or a motion to dismiss charges.
Negotiation. Since prosecutors have large caseloads, they often prefer to settle through a plea deal rather than go to trial. The right sex charges defense attorney can leverage this to their advantage and find a good deal that protects your record.
Trial and sentencing. If the case should be tried, we try it. If there is a conviction, we litigate strikes, enhancements, and PC 290 placement.
Your Glendale, CA, Sex Crime Lawyer Needs to Have These Qualities
- Previous experience defending clients against similar or the same charges
- Dedication to Connections with prosecutors and judges in Glendale
- Honesty and transparency when discussing your case
- Availability and a single point of contact
- Confidence and honesty when planning your defense
Legal Punishments for Sex Crime Convictions in Glendale, CA
| Charge | Statute | Level | Typical Custody Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rape | PC § 261 | Felony | 3, 6, or 8 years state prison; fine up to $10,000 |
| Statutory Rape | PC § 261.5 | Misd. or wobbler | Up to 1 year jail, or 16 months–4 years (facts-dependent) |
| Sexual Battery | PC § 243.4 | Misd. or felony | Up to 6 months jail, or 2, 3, or 4 years prison |
| Lewd Act With a Child Under 14 | PC § 288(a) | Felony | 3, 6, or 8 years (higher if force or younger child) |
| Arranging a Meeting With a Minor | PC § 288.4 | Wobbler | Up to 1 year jail, or 2, 3, or 4 years prison |
| Indecent Exposure | PC § 314 | Misd. or felony | Up to 1 year, or 16 months–3 years |
| Child Pornography Possession | PC § 311.11 | Wobbler / felony | Jail, or 16 months–3+ years; registration often Tier 3 if felony |
| Prostitution / Solicitation | PC § 647(b) | Misdemeanor | Up to 6 months jail; fine up to $1,000 |
While the majority of sex crime cases may follow these guidelines, sentencing enhancements can greatly alter the end punishment. Your case needs to be evaluated for its unique qualities. A rape conviction can also carry a separate PC § 264 restitution fine directed to victim assistance programs.
The Sex Offender Registry (PC 290)
California maintains a public sex offender registry. The length of time a person is required to be on the registry depends on the specific offense:
- Tier 1 — typically for a 10-year term, or 5 years for most juvenile cases. Examples: many misdemeanor sexual battery and indecent exposure convictions; some PC § 261.5 convictions for offenses on or after January 1, 2026, under SB 680.
- Tier 2 — generally 20 years. Examples: repeated annoying of a child, some sodomy cases, and some rape cases.
- Tier 3 — lifetime for the most serious offenses (e.g., most rape offenses, aiding a rape attempt, pimping a minor) and certain repeat or high-risk designations.
After the minimum period, Tier 1 and Tier 2 registrants may petition for termination under PC § 290.5 if they meet the statutory criteria. Tier 3 is different — relief, if any, is narrower. Failure to register is its own crime. Your Glendale, CA, sex crimes lawyer should treat registry exposure as a charging and plea issue from day one, not an afterthought at sentencing.
Defense Strategies Your Glendale, CA, Sex Crimes Lawyer May Use
- Consent can be a powerful defense and/or mitigating factor — so long as the alleged victim had the capacity to give it
- False or motivated accusation False accusations — unfortunately, some people will make up criminal accusations in order to get something they want
- Identity / alibi
- Failure of the prosecution to prove the charges against you — ultimately, it's on the prosecution to prove you are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If they fail to do so, we will highlight that
- Illegally acquired evidence
- Unreliable child forensic interviews
- Entrapment in cases like prostitution
Picking the right defense strategy is important, but it's not everything. You also need a persuasive Glendale, CA, sex crimes lawyer to present it.
Past Sex Offense Case Results
- Soliciting a Prostitute (PC § 647(b)) and Loitering with Intent to Commit Prostitution (PC § 653.22) — All Charges Dismissed. We protected our client's record after being accused of solicitation. Through skillful negotiation, we were able to have all charges dismissed after the completion of an educational program.
- Statutory Rape (PC § 261.5) — No Jail Time, No Sex Offender Registration, Dismissed Upon Completion of Probation. Our skillful team leveraged plea negotiations to help our client avoid a prison sentence and stay off of the ex offender registry.
- Rape (PC § 261) — Facing 25 Years to Life, All Charges Dismissed Before Trial. When our client was wrongly accused of participating in an assault, we presented a defense showing their lack of participation. No public record of the case remains.
- Kidnapping (PC § 207) and Unlawful Sexual Intercourse with a Minor (PC § 261.5) — We Protected Our Client Against Prison and Sex Offender Classification. Through a defense built around consent, our lawyers secured a deal that released our client, crediting them for time served, and our resolution also kept our client off of the California sex offender registry.
- Child Molestation (PC § 288) and Sodomy with a Child Under 10 (PC § 288.7) — Protected Client Against Lifetime Imprisonment and Sex Offender Registration. The client faced three potential life terms with no bail. We examined the prosecution's evidence and were able to demonstrate to the court that the accusation was false, securing a dismissal. No public record of the case remains.
These results are representative of past performance, but do not guarantee future results. Every case in Glendale, CA, is evaluated on its own facts, and results depend on the specific evidence and circumstances involved.
Frequently Asked Questions for Sex Allegations in Glendale, CA
Do I need a lawyer if I am innocent?
It's critical to work with an attorney, whether or not the accusation has any merit. It's easy for mistakes to be misconstrued, and your lawyer can help you present your side of the story.
How will a sex crime conviction in Glendale, CA, affect immigration status?
Convictions of sex crimes can be harmful to your immigration status, and potentially lead to deportation. Talk to a sex crimes defense lawyer who can also act as your immigration attorney and help you protect your status.
Can a sex offender get off the registry in Glendale, CA?
California's sex offender registry has three tiers — tier 3 offenses require lifetime registration, but tier 2 and 1 both allow the possibility of removal after a time period has passed.
Does California's sex offender registry include statutory rape?
For many PC § 261.5(c) and (d) offenses committed on or after January 1, 2026, yes — Tier 1 — unless the 10-year age-gap exception applies. The court may still order PC § 290.006 registration. Get the dates and ages reviewed before you plead.
What are the rules for sex offenders in California?
Every Glendale, CA, resident on the sex offender registry is required to update their information regularly with local law enforcement. Some people may face additional restrictions, such as notifying law enforcement before travel, a ban on firearm possession, and restricted use of the internet.
The Law Offices of David S. Chesley: Premier Sex Crimes Lawyers in Glendale, CA
There isn't an easy way out of this, but with the Law Offices of David S. Chesley, you'll get a team that is dedicated to protecting your rights and will fight for your freedom.
Get help now — call us at (800) 755-5174 or send us a note online to talk with your Glendale, CA, sex crimes lawyer.
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