If a minor accuses you of a sex crime in California, your life can change in an instant. Even before charges are filed, you may face arrest, social stigma, job loss, and irreversible damage to your reputation. The system takes these accusations extremely seriously — and so should you. Here’s what to do immediately, and how to build a defense that protects your freedom and future.
Step 1: Do Not Contact the Minor or Their Family
This is critical. Reaching out — even with good intentions — can be seen as intimidation or tampering. Never send texts, DMs, or try to explain your side. Prosecutors can interpret any communication as evidence of guilt or coercion.
All communication must go through your lawyer. This protects you and keeps the case from getting worse.
Step 2: Get Legal Representation Immediately
Sex crime cases involving minors carry some of the harshest penalties in California, including:
- Mandatory prison time
- Lifetime sex offender registration
- Restraining orders or loss of custody
- Permanent damage to your career, housing, and reputation
Even an accusation can destroy your life. You need a defense lawyer with experience handling sensitive, high-stakes cases like this.
Step 3: Preserve Evidence
Act fast to gather and secure anything that may support your innocence:
- Text messages or emails between you and the minor or others involved
- Witnesses who can verify your location or interaction
- Phone location data, photos, video, or timestamps
- Social media posts or private messages
Memories fade and digital evidence disappears — securing it quickly can make or break your case.
Step 4: Understand the Charges You May Face
Depending on the facts, the DA may charge you with any of the following:
- Lewd acts with a child under 14 (Penal Code 288)
- Statutory rape (even if consensual)
- Possession or distribution of child pornography
- Online solicitation or enticement of a minor
- Sexual battery or molestation
All of these are felonies and can carry long prison sentences and lifelong registry requirements.
Step 5: Stay Off Social Media
Do not post anything about the accusation, case, or people involved. Even vague or emotional posts can be used as evidence against you. Prosecutors often comb through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and private messages to build their case. Let your lawyer speak for you — publicly and privately.
How False Accusations Happen
Unfortunately, minors can and do make false accusations. Reasons include:
- Parental influence during custody disputes
- Misunderstood behavior or touch
- Peer pressure or embarrassment
- Mental health challenges or trauma projection
Your legal team will investigate the accuser’s background, motive, and consistency in their claims to uncover the truth.
Defense Strategies That Work
Your defense attorney may use a combination of legal strategies such as:
- Showing you weren’t present (alibi defense)
- Disproving the timeline or location of events
- Using phone records or GPS to confirm movements
- Exposing contradictions or coaching in the accuser’s statement
- Filing motions to suppress illegally obtained evidence
These cases are emotional and high-risk — but they are beatable with the right team.
What If You’re Innocent?
Even if you’re 100% innocent, do not assume the truth will speak for itself. Prosecutors are trained to convict — not to determine guilt. Police may twist your words, and the court of public opinion is rarely on your side. You need legal protection from the moment the accusation surfaces.
Your Future Is on the Line
Sex crime accusations involving minors are among the most serious legal matters in the state. Conviction can follow you forever. But you have the right to fight back — and to defend your name, your freedom, and your future. Time is your enemy in these cases. The sooner you act, the stronger your defense.
Falsely accused by a minor? Contact us now for a confidential, strategic defense plan from experienced sex crime attorneys.
