Allegations of sexual abuse can be ruin some to a Utah resident. They can result in job loss, social stigma and other non-criminal penalties. Furthermore, if a person is found guilty of sex crimes — including child molestation — then that person can face serious criminal punishments. The person can be sentenced to a long prison term and be forced to register on the sex offender registry. While on the registry, people can be limited on where they can live, work and socialize. They may be subject to police monitoring for years after their release from prison.
However, just because someone is accused of a sex crime, does not mean that the person is guilty. False allegations can be made for a variety of reasons. Thankfully, people who have been accused of have the opportunity to defend against the charges in court. Furthermore, they should remember that they also have the right to be treated as innocent until proven guilty.
In a recent case in Salt Lake City, Utah a man has been found not-guilty on sex crime charges. The 48-year-old man — a former LDS branch president — was accused of sexually assaulting a woman and her 13-year-old daughter and physically assaulting the woman’s son. He had been charged with forcible sex abuse, sex abuse of a child and four counts of aggravated sexual assault in addition to burglary charges.
Throughout the criminal proceedings, the man and his attorney maintained his innocence. When the case reached the jury, the jury took just over three hours to determine that he was not guilty. As a result, the man was released from police custody and an ankle monitor he had been required to wear had been removed. He can now move on from the unfortunate incident.
Those accused of sex crimes can learn from this man’s case. With the right criminal defense team and strategy, people can prove their innocence, avoid penalties and return to normal life.
Source: Desert News, “Jury acquits Mormon branch president of sex abuse,” Pat Reavy, May 23, 2014