hire a lawyer for your teenage trouble maker

One of the most shocking accusations a person can face is learning that someone they know is accusing them of sex crimes. It's important to approach this sort of situation with a degree of caution and thoughtfulness. Here are four things a sex crimes lawyer will likely tell you to do if someone you know has accused you of an offense.

Avoid Contact With the Accuser

Many defendants are tempted to try to sort the situation out by asking the accuser about what's going on. However, it is advisable to avoid initiating any contact with an accuser. Rather than helping you iron things out and making the accusations go away, the more likely outcome from contacting an accuser will be feeding allegations of intimidation.

If the accuser contacts you, try to limit the conversation as much as possible. Avoid any discussion of the alleged sex crimes. Make notes about when the conversation occurred and what the context was.

Limit Your Discussion of the Case to Your Attorney

Even if you have a close friend or family member that you trust to talk to, don't do it. The best course of action is to keep all discussion of the case to the offices of the sex crimes attorney you've hired. If you have to vent about what's happening, it's better to pay a lawyer's hourly rate than to risk looping another person you know into the case. Conversations with acquaintances and family members are not covered by the 5th Amendment protection against self-incrimination, and those conversations can and do come up in court.

Preserve All Evidence

Yes, it can seem like preserving evidence is working against your interest. However, a sex crimes lawyer would prefer to try to explain a piece of evidence than to have to explain why a client destroyed it.

It's wise to lock all of your electronic messages involving the accusations, such as texts, emails, and direct messages from social media sites. Don't delete social media posts, even if they seem to cast you in a bad light. It's common for copies of communications to still be out there anyhow, and it's not to your benefit to have those come out later.

Stay Calm

Sex crime charges take a while to sort out even if it is evident that the defendant is innocent. Let your attorney do their job. Follow their advice, and stay calm. Try to keep yourself available in case your lawyer has questions, too.

For more information about hiring an attorney to help with a case for sex crimes, contact a local law office.