Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Feb 21, 2022 |
This is a common crime now with the internet, and many people are getting arrested. A lot of people are going into custody and many people have to register as sex offenders because they send nude photographs to minors. Often, the defenses are that they believe that the minors are 18 years...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Feb 14, 2022 |
It’s a special prosecuting agency that deals with these sex crime cases in Los Angeles and across the country. Many of the District Attorney’s offices have taken the position to assign specific prosecutors who all they do is deal with sex crimes. That would probably be the first reason you want a sex...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Feb 05, 2022 |
These are some of the most seriously prosecuted cases in Los Angeles County and across the country. Courts, police, prosecutors, and judges want to protect minors, so they’re going to dole out some severe punishment for individuals involved with any sexual contact with a minor. Sex with a minor...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Jan 11, 2022 |
There are numerous types of sex crimes committed online, and the numbers continue to grow. In reply, law enforcement agencies have modified their techniques to investigate alleged suspects who are believed to engage in the illegal online sexual-related activity. So, online solicitation is a serious...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Nov 30, 2021 |
Penal Code Section 288 makes it a crime in California to engage in any lewd or lascivious act with a minor, which are described as indecent acts of a sexual nature and often called child molestation.
So, if you are charged with PC 288 lewd acts with a child, will you automatically get prison time...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Nov 01, 2021 |
I get a number of call where people are calling in basically trying to resolve their sex crime case over the phone. They want me to assure them that the prosecutors aren’t going to file the case, or that I can get the case dismissed when I haven’t seen any of the facts surrounding the case at least from the police...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Oct 28, 2021 |
Sex trafficking has become the big political hot ticket item for the police, prosecutors, and judges. It’s definitely the type of crime that even the new head prosecutor, who is not as tough on crime as many people would like, has to get behind. So, we’re seeing all types of arrests for human trafficking...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Oct 22, 2021 |
Date rape is generally described as nonconsensual sexual intercourse between two people who are dating or spending some time together. However, a date rape and the traditional rape charge are the same and defined under California Penal Code 261 PC. This is a huge question running rampant now...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Oct 05, 2021 |
Has the new prosecutor’s policies helped people charged with sex crimes? The simple answer to this is, no. He has not done anything. I haven’t seen one thing that would help anybody who is charged with a sex crime. In fact, prosecutors who deal with these crimes are probably busier than ever...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Sep 22, 2021 |
Sexual exploitation of children under federal law is a separate crime that includes producing child pornography, and defined under 18 U.S.C. §2251. A minor is anyone under the age of 18. Put simply, anyone who attempts to induce, entice, or persuade a minor to participate in sexual activity with...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Jul 17, 2021 |
Federal courts use criminal statutes under Title 18 of the United States Code, while state courts have their own statutes. This means there are several differences that can impact sex crime charges and defenses, along with the consequences of a conviction. If you have a sex crime case in a federal court...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Jul 12, 2021 |
If you are found possessing, producing, selling, distributing, or transporting any obscene material depicting a child under 18 years old in sexual explicit manner, you could be charged with federal child pornography under 18 U.S.C. § 2252. This statute also makes it a federal crime to download child porn...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Feb 19, 2021 |
This is a good question because if you're about to be arrested or you're the loved one of somebody who's been arrested and you're trying to get them out, bail is an important topic, especially in Los Angeles today. Because of the Coronavirus, there's been an edict sent down that all bail shou...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Jan 29, 2021 |
When people get arrested and they're facing the government and they're going to have to go into court and deal with the prosecutor, they're obviously concerned about hiring a private lawyer and how much will that actually cost. Of course, the answer is it varies depending on: how good the ...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Jan 28, 2021 |
What Can You Do if You Feel Like You're Being Investigated for a Sex Crime in California? Sex crimes are investigated all the time across the United States. I've handled thousands of cases in Los Angeles over the last 27 years and a lot of times, believe it or not, people get wind that they'...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Dec 29, 2020 |
Can Prosecutors Use Prior Bad Acts Against a Defendant in a Sex Crime Prosecution? This is a big issue that's been around since I've been practicing criminal defense now for about 27 years and more and more the pendulum has swung in the direction of helping the prosecutors prove these sex cri...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Dec 28, 2020 |
What Happens if You're Caught Sending or Receiving Nude Photographs with a Minor? This is a very serious offense and I've seen it prosecuted at both the state and federal level.
I've been practicing in this area involving minors, the internet, phones and computers since its inception, the adv...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Dec 22, 2020 |
Obviously, sex crimes are some of the more seriously prosecuted cases and the LA District Attorney's office takes a lot of interest in them. As far as jail and prison go, usually they're among the top crimes in Los Angeles if you're charged with some sort of a sex offense, that you have the l...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Dec 18, 2020 |
What is Required for Kidnapping for Purposes of Rape Under California Penal Code 209(b) PC? This is a very serious crime. If somebody is convicted of Penal Code 209(b) PC aggravated kidnapping for purposes of rape, they are going to be facing a life sentence in Los Angeles county. Aggravated...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Dec 07, 2020 |
Can the Prosecution Enter Evidence Regarding Past Misconduct or Alleged Sexual Assault Allegations to My Current California Sex Crime Case? The answer depends on the type of evidence the prosecution is trying to get in. Unfortunately, if you're charged with a sex crime and you have prior cond...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Nov 14, 2020 |
Sexting is a very common charge in today's day and age because a lot of minors are on the internet. A lot of adults are going into chat rooms and various other social media vehicles and they end up coming across a minor. Sometimes they know it's a minor, but sometimes they don't. Other times th...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Nov 09, 2020 |
Learn Whether You Will Be Facing Prison Time If Convicted of Failing To Register as a Sex Offender Under California Penal Code 290 which is the statute prosecutors will file against somebody who fails to register as a sex offender. That Code Section is a straight felony and people believe they are going to jail.
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Nov 06, 2020 |
Review of the California Crime of Assault With Intent to Commit a Felony Under Penal Code 220 PC. California Penal Code 220 defines the crime of assault with intent to commit a felony. An individual violates this section by assaulting another person with the intent to commit a serious sex crim...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Oct 29, 2020 |
We see this once in a while with people in the hospital or a nursing home. Someone who's older; someone who's incapacitated in some way and another person is allegedly taking advantage of them.
Lewd acts by a caretaker upon a dependent adult is defined under California Penal Code 288(b)(2). It c...
Posted by Ronald D. Hedding | Oct 08, 2020 |
Over the years that I've handled criminal cases, we do see some massage parlor cases come up. It's often where the women in the massage parlor are arrested because they get involved in a discussion related to having some sort of sexual activity for money with a customer who happens to end up ...