Internet Luring Of A Child Charges Are Very Serious
Any form of intimate conversation with a minor on the Internet poses serious legal dangers. A conviction will bring Colorado’s standard sex crime-related legal consequences: two years to life in prison or 10 years to life on probation. And very little needs to “happen” for prosecutors to make an Internet luring charge against you. If you meet with a minor after describing sex to him or her online, even if you honestly just meet for coffee, you have likely broken the law and face a possible conviction.
Like most crimes involving illicit sexual behavior, Internet luring can happen through a broad range of circumstances. Not every act of luring is intentional. There are many incidents involving a misunderstanding or an entrapment scenario by the police.
Do you feel you were baited or entrapped online by a law enforcement official? Were you lied to by a minor regarding his or her age? Are you confused regarding the alleged victim’s perception of events and subsequent accusations and statements? Were you even aware that your actions online could lead to Internet luring charges? Shazam Kianpour & Associates, P.C., for experienced and effective legal help.
What Does Internet Luring of a Child Mean?
Colorado Revised Statutes Title 18, Criminal Code § 18-3-306, says an actor commits internet luring of a child if the actor knowingly communicates over a computer or computer network, to a person who the actor knows or believes to be under 15 years of age, and makes a statement persuading or inviting the person to meet the actor for any purpose, and the actor is more than four years older than the person or than the age the actor believes the person to be.
In simple terms, if you are four years older than a kid under 15, and you are online chatting with him or her (or even if you think that you are chatting with a kid under 15, and he or she is really an adult), and you begin to discuss sexual content with that “child” and then you try to persuade that child to try to meet you anywhere for any reason, then you are committing an F4 sex crime in Colorado. In this situation outlined above, it is considered a crime even if you just wanted to meet for an ice cream cone.
Consequences of Internet Luring Charges
Colorado law sees Internet Luring of a Child as a class 4 Felony. Like most other sex crimes in Colorado, F4 sex crimes carry “indeterminate” sentences if you are found guilty, meaning that you can be:
- Sent to prison or put on probation for up to the rest of your natural life.
- You can be forced to move out of your home where your children live, and
- You can be forced to stop using computers and the Internet.
- And you must register as a sex offender.
So if you are called or texted by someone you suspect is a police officer, do not respond.
When Does Sex Talk Online Become Criminal Charges in Colorado?
Often, Internet sexual exploitation charges (pornographic materials involving children) also get accompanying charges of other sex crimes like enticement of a child (CRS 18-3-301), Internet luring of a child (CRS 18-3-306) or attempted sex assault on a child (CRS 18-3-405).
That’s because as the conversation gets more involved and our client, unaware of the age of consent, or the sex laws in Colorado, agrees to meet the girl somewhere even if it is for some ice cream or a lunch.
When they get there, instead of the seemingly consenting female they had spoken to, there are federal or state law enforcement agents waiting to charge them with sex assault in federal court or child sex assault in Colorado state court. Other times you are having a chat online, unaware you are doing anything wrong, or perhaps aware that it is “not right” but not realizing you are committing a felony sex crime.
What happens next: A knock on your door and a ring of your doorbell. The whole neighborhood just saw police rush into your house and handcuff you and take your computer, your tablet, your smartphone and you away to the jailhouse.
Entrapment Can Happen Like This
It is well-documented that Yahoo Colorado Chat sites are often patrolled by detectives in the Child Sex Offender Internet Investigations Unit (known as the CHEEZO unit). These detectives are some of the best at tracking and recording computer forensic evidence in Internet sex crimes cases.
Internet luring can happen through a broad range of circumstances. Not every act of luring is intentional. There are many incidents involving a misunderstanding or an entrapment scenario by the police.
Many cases we handle involve a situation like this: Our client’s girlfriend or wife is out of town. Without really considering the consequences, he sends a lewd photograph to a girl he believes to be under the age of 15. In reality, he has been chatting on an Internet chat site with a police officer or sheriff.
Many jurisdictions have begun ramping up their online sting operations, and we have seen many more Internet luring charges in Douglas, Denver and Adams counties as well.
Denver, Colorado, Internet Luring Attorney
We provide an aggressive and experienced criminal defense team to help you through any situation. The attorneys at Shazam Kianpour & Associates, P.C., have worked as government lawyers and have handled more than 10,000 criminal cases over the course of their careers. This background serves our clients because:
- Sex crime laws and sentencing structures are incredibly complex and confusing to anybody, let alone a young, inexperienced attorney who rarely handles these types of cases.
- Through government experience, we have earned the respect of our peers and established a valuable network of contacts and relationships within Colorado’s criminal justice system.
- We have handled hundreds of sex crime cases, and can defend you based on a firm knowledge of your rights. We know how to minimize or eliminate criminal penalties through thorough preparation and aggressive representation.
Your Future Is at Stake, so Contact Our Defense Attorneys Today
The first step to building a strong defense starts with contacting our law firm today. We are available 24 hours a day to protect your rights. To contact a lawyer for a free consultation, call our office in Denver at 720-407-2582.