When Your Freedom and Reputation Are on the Line: Unmatched Sex Crimes Defense in San Antonio

A sex crime accusation in Texas is one of the most serious legal challenges a person can face. Long before a trial begins, the mere allegation can trigger catastrophic professional and personal consequences, irreparably harming your reputation and limiting your future opportunities. Prosecutors in San Antonio and across Texas pursue these charges with exceptional intensity, seeking maximum penalties that can include decades in prison.

At Barton & Associates, Attorneys at Law, we understand that an accusation is not a conviction. Our seasoned team of San Antonio sex crimes lawyers brings over 100 years of combined legal experience to your defense. We are aggressive negotiators and fierce courtroom litigators dedicated to one goal: protecting your rights, your freedom, and your future.

A Spectrum of Serious Charges: Understanding Texas Sex Crimes

Sex crimes encompass a wide variety of offenses under Texas Penal Code Chapter 21, ranging from misdemeanors to severe felonies. The specific nature of the charge dramatically impacts the potential penalties and required defense strategy. Our attorneys have deep expertise in defending against all allegations, including:

• Sexual Assault (Rape): This involves non-consensual sexual activity and is typically a second-degree felony. Aggravating factors, such as the use of a weapon, bodily injury, or the victim’s age, can elevate it to a first-degree felony with life-altering prison terms.
• Indecency with a Child: Any sexual contact with a child under 17 or causing a child to engage in sexual contact is a felony. This also includes exposing oneself to a minor.
• Online Solicitation of a Minor: Using any digital platform to communicate in a sexually explicit manner with a minor or to solicit a meeting for sexual contact is a serious felony offense.
• Improper Educator-Student Relationships: Any sexual contact between a school employee and a student is a second-degree felony.
• Indecent Exposure & Public Lewdness: These charges can be filed as misdemeanors or felonies, depending on the circumstances.
• Prostitution and Sex Trafficking Offenses: This includes compelling prostitution, a felony that involves force or coercion, and severe federal or state sex trafficking charges.
• Failure to Register as a Sex Offender: Violating registration requirements is itself a felony, with penalties increasing for repeat offenses.

The central issue in many sexual assault cases is the question of consent. Texas law provides multiple, complex ways for the state to argue a lack of consent, including scenarios involving force, threats, unconsciousness, mental incapacity, or the administration of intoxicants without the victim’s knowledge. Successfully navigating these legal definitions requires an attorney with precise knowledge and experience.

Consequences That Last a Lifetime: Penalties Beyond Prison

The stakes in a sex crimes case extend far beyond the threat of incarceration. A conviction carries a cascade of penalties that can permanently alter every aspect of your life.

• Severe Incarceration: While misdemeanors may carry up to a year in jail, felony convictions can result in sentences ranging from two years to life in a Texas prison.
• Mandatory Sex Offender Registration: Most convictions require registration on a public, online database. Depending on the offense, this requirement can last for 10 years to life, exposing your personal information and conviction details to anyone who searches.
• Devastating Collateral Damage: The conviction follows you forever, leading to:
  • Loss of professional licenses and inability to find or keep employment.
  • Loss of child custody or unsupervised visitation rights.
  • Permanent damage to personal and community reputation.
  • Restrictions on where you can live and work.
  • Loss of fundamental rights, including the right to vote and to bear firearms.

The Barton & Associates Defense Strategy: Your Shield Against the State

We believe every client deserves a defense that is as relentless as the prosecution they face. From the moment you retain our firm, we take a proactive, comprehensive approach to building your case.

• Immediate Intervention and Investigation: Time is your enemy. Evidence fades, memories change, and the prosecution moves quickly. We act immediately to secure evidence, interview witnesses, and conduct our own independent investigation to uncover facts the state may have overlooked.
• Meticulous Case Analysis: We listen to your account and meticulously analyze every piece of the state’s evidence. We determine if your constitutional rights were violated during an investigation or arrest and file aggressive motions to challenge improper evidence.
• Developing a Powerful Defense: Every case is unique. We build defenses tailored to the specific allegations, which may include proving consent, demonstrating false allegations, establishing mistaken identity, providing a verifiable alibi, or arguing a lack of criminal intent. In cases involving minors close in age, we expertly navigate defenses like Texas’s “Romeo and Juliet” law.
• Strategic Resolution: Our attorneys are skilled negotiators who know how to leverage case weaknesses to seek dismissals or favorable plea agreements when going to trial is not in your best interest. However, we are first and foremost trial-tested litigators. Our firm has a formidable reputation in San Antonio courtrooms, and we prepare every case as if it will be tried before a jury, ensuring the prosecution knows we are fully prepared to fight for you.

You Are Not Just a Case File: The Barton & Associates Difference

Facing these charges can make you feel isolated and overwhelmed. At Barton & Associates, you are never alone. We treat our clients with the respect and dignity they deserve during this challenging time.

• Experience You Can Trust: Our attorneys have the knowledge and track record to handle the most complex sex crimes allegations.
• A Recognized, Award-Winning Firm: Our excellence is recognized by our peers and the legal community. Our attorneys hold top ratings and accolades from prestigious organizations, including Super Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America, and Martindale-Hubbell.
• Direct Access and Clear Communication: You will work directly with your dedicated legal team. We believe in clear, honest communication, ensuring you understand every step of the process and every option available to you.
• A Firm That Stands By Its Clients: We are selective in the cases we take because we are committed to providing each client with focused, aggressive representation. We expect a partnership built on mutual respect and truthfulness.

Take the Critical First Step to Protect Your Future

If you are under investigation or have been charged with a sex crime in San Antonio or South Texas, the decisions you make right now will define your future. Do not speak to investigators or make any statement without an attorney present. Your first and most important call must be to an experienced defense lawyer.

Contact Barton & Associates, Attorneys at Law, today. Call us at 210-500-0000 to schedule a free, confidential, and immediate case consultation. Let our seasoned San Antonio sex crimes lawyers begin building your defense and fighting for the best possible outcome in your case. Your freedom and your reputation are worth defending.

Main Category: Criminal Defense
Barton & Associates, Attorneys at Law
115 Camaron St, San Antonio, TX 78205
Office: 210-500-0000