You never thought it would come to this. The accusation may be a misunderstanding, exaggerated, or false. In Sherman Oaks, CA, a sex crime allegation can put prison, PC 290 registration, and your reputation at risk before a case is even filed. What you do in the first 48 hours matters.
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 Sherman Oaks, CA. When you call us, you're getting a team that's ready to help, whatever you need.
We're here to help, not to judge. Call (800) 755-5174 or contact us online to speak with a sex crimes lawyer in Sherman Oaks, CA, about your charges.
Attorney David S. Chesley, Sherman Oaks, CA, criminal defense since June 2005, SBN 236611.
Why You Need to Treat Sex Crime Charges Seriously in Sherman Oaks, CA
Sex crime charges are serious. A conviction can lead to:
- Months or even years behind bars
- Registration as a sex offender
- Frequently, notifications to the public regarding your conviction
- Family, job, and immigration challenges
- Electronic monitoring
Trying to "clear it up" with police, the accuser, or a school or Title IX office almost always makes the file worse. You need counsel who will protect the record and the rest of your life.
Arrested for a Sex Crime in Sherman Oaks, CA? Take These Steps Now
- Do not contact the accuser — for any reason whatsoever. Doing so often just looks like intimidating the alleged victim.
- Keep quiet during interrogations. Say only: "I want to speak with my attorney."
- Do not consent to a phone or home search if there isn't a warrant for it and if you haven't had a chance to check with your Sherman Oaks, CA sex charges attorney.
- Preserve everything. Trying to delete or hide evidence can end up making you look more guilty.
- Tell your Sherman Oaks, CA, sex crimes defense attorney everything: dates, locations, witnesses, alcohol, prior relationship, and who else had a motive.
- If given bail conditions, take every effort to adhere to them — you can face serious penalties for breaking these.
- Get help handling the pressure — look for local mental health resources to help cope with the stress of your case.
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Early counsel can sometimes intervene before filing, especially in online sting, statutory, and "he said / she said" investigations.
Sex Crime Charges We Defend in Sherman Oaks, CA
Rape and Sexual Assault
Rape and sexual assault are probably the worst types of sex crimes to be charged with in Sherman Oaks, CA. Rape, in particular, is treated extremely harshly for allegedly using force to coerce someone into sexual intercourse.
Sexual assault (or sexual abuse) charges are often used as a catch-all that can include rape and other sexual crimes, most notably sexual battery. Sexual battery is defined in its own statute as the touching of another person's intimate parts without their consent, while the alleged victim was restrained. This touching must have been done for sexual purposes.
In the past, California has separate laws for rape between spouses versus general rape. However, this was repealed and does not apply today.
Child Sex Crimes
In California, child molestation is not covered by a single law, but is a category for acts such as lewd acts with a child and the sexual abuse of a child. Some child sex crimes don't even have to involve actually abusing a child — California's enticing a minor statute makes it a crime just to try and presuade a child into engaging in sexual conduct, whether or not they actually do.
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.
Internet and Digital Sex Crimes
Internet sex crimes vary widely in nature. Some overlap with child sex crimes (the possession, production, or distribution of child pornography, for example), while others are crimes even if the conduct only involved adults (posting of revenge porn, for example). Defenses often hinge on whether or not the alleged offender was the one to break the law, or if another person was using their computer/profile.
Deepfake Sexual Content
Deepfake sexual content is not the loophole that some people think it is. California law has made it illegal to share photorealistic, intimate images of an identifiable person, even if they are artificial or AI-generated. A first conviction is a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, while repeat convictions can be punished with up to one year in jail and a $2,000 fine.
Sex Trafficking
Sex trafficking is a subcategory of human trafficking under California law. Human trafficking is defined as depriving someone of their freedom and forcing them into labor — sex trafficking is the informal name for when that labor involves a sexual nature (such as pimping or creating child pornography). In particular, sex trafficking involving children is treated harshly and can result in life imprisonment in some circumstances. Some people may think that trafficking charges only happen (or apply) to immigrants, but the alleged victim can be of any nationality.
Related Charges
In Sherman Oaks, CA, we also defend indecent exposure (PC § 314), 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.
Accused of a Below Sex Crime? Call Us Today
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. The best way to beat a criminal charge is to avoid having it filed in the first place. You don't have to wait until you're under arrest to get an attorney — our sex crime defense attorneys can help you the moment police contact you. We will guide you through interviews, negotiate with authorities, and set the ground for a strong legal defense, should it become necessary.
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. If we find that any of the state's evidence was wrongfully obtained, we will file a motion to suppress it, removing it from the case against you. And if their case is sufficiently weakened, we'll follow up with a motion to dismiss the charges against you.
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 Sherman Oaks, CA, Sex Crime Lawyer Needs to Have These Qualities
- Previous experience defending clients against similar or the same charges
- Relationships in Sherman Oaks, CA, courts
- Ideas for how to approach defense in your case
- A positive reputation with former clients
- A person-centered approach
Penalties (General Statutory Ranges)
| 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. Talk to a sex crimes lawyer about what your exposure actually is. But a conviction won't just lead to incarceration; it can also put you on the sex offender registry.
The Sex Offender Registry (PC 290)
Not every sex crime in California requires a person to register as a sex offender (prostitution, for example, normally does not). When it is required, though, it typically falls into one of the below three categories:
- Tier 1 — generally 10 years (5 years in some juvenile cases). Examples: indecent exposure (misdemeanor) and sexual battery (misdemeanor).
- Tier 2 — 20 years for adults, but 10 years for some juveniles. Examples: lewd acts with a minor under 14 and some sodomy 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 Sherman Oaks, CA, sex crimes lawyer should treat registry exposure as a charging and plea issue from day one, not an afterthought at sentencing.
Effective Defenses Versus Sex Crime Charges in Sherman Oaks, CA
- Consent (where the statute allows it — not for children below the age of consent)
- Reasonable, good-faith mistake as to the accuser's age (the "Hernandez defense," CALCRIM No. 1071) — available for statutory rape under PC § 261.5, but not available for lewd acts with a child under 14 (PC § 288) or for human trafficking (PC § 236.1), where a defendant's belief about age is not a defense as a matter of law
- False or motivated accusation False accusations — sometimes, it can be just as important to show why the person is making the accusation as it is to show your innocence. If an ulterior motive is revealed, this can be a powerful part of a defense startegy
- Identity / alibi
- Insufficient proof of a required element — when the prosecution fails to prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, your attorney can use that to sway the jury
- Violation of your rights
- Child interviews that were coached or led to a certain end
- Entrapment when the supposed offender did not have a predisposition towards the crime, and the government coerced them into it
- Charges were filed outside of the statute of limitations
When you have the right defense strategy and the right defense attorney on your side, you're maximizing your chances of a positive outcome.
Former Sex Offense Case Results
- Soliciting a Prostitute (PC § 647(b)) and Loitering with Intent to Commit Prostitution (PC § 653.22) — All Charges Dismissed. Our client was accused of soliciting a prostitute who was actually a police officer. We negotiated a diversionary program and the dismissal of all charges.
- Statutory Rape (PC § 261.5) — Protected Client From Jail, Sex Offender Registry, and Record. When our client was accused of statutory rape, we leveraged our defense to negotiate a probation sentence which, if completed, will allow for the dismissal of all charges, no prison time, and keep our client off of the California sex offender registry.
- Rape (PC § 261) — Facing 25 Years to Life, All Charges Dismissed Before Trial. Our client came to us after being accused of rape. They were present at an event where two other individuals (charged separately) had assaulted a woman, but our client took no part in it. We presented our defense in the preliminary hearing and the case was dismissed. 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. By evaluating the evidence and presenting a narrative of consent, our lawyers secured a deal that released our client, crediting them for time served, with no strike and no sex offender registration.
- 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. As an added bonus, our client's privacy is protected as any remaining records are not available to the public.
Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. If you have questions about realistic outcomes for your case, talk to one of our Sherman Oaks, CA, sex crime lawyers today.
Common Questions for Sex Allegations in Sherman Oaks, CA
Is it still important to hire an attorney if you're innocent?
Yes. Innocence does not stop an investigation, an arrest, or a filing decision. Counsel is how your evidence gets into the file and how illegal searches and bad interviews get challenged.
Would a conviction of a sex crime affect my immigration status?
To protect your immigration status, you need to take these charges seriously. A conviction can be considered an aggravated felony or crime of moral turpitude, depending on the statute.
Can charges be reduced or dismissed?
Sometimes — through pretrial motions, incomplete proof, or a negotiated reduction that also fixes registration. It depends on the evidence and the statute.
Does statutory rape require registration now?
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.
If I'm on the sex offender registry, what rules do I have to follow?
The main rule is to register with law enforcement and provide regular updates. In certain cases, additional restrictions (such as regarding career and housing) can also apply.
Accused of a Sex Crime? Call Now
We won't sugarcoat it: These charges are a big deal, and you need someone who knows how to fight for your rights.
We are here to help — call (800) 755-5174 or contact us online for a no-strings attached consultation.
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