Statutory Rape Charge Dismissed in North Carolina

RALEIGH, NC, May 23, 2011

Raleigh criminal attorney Patrick Roberts at the Roberts Law Group PLLC defended a North Carolina man against the statutory rape charges.

A man who was caught engaging in sexual acts with a minor by the young woman's mother pled guilty to a misdemeanor in exchange for the dismissal of more serious statutory rape charges. The man pled guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a minor and assault on a female.

The man fell prey to a common situation in North Carolina - the alleged victim, a girl under 16 years old, lied about her age on a social networking website. When the young woman began talking to the man, she didn't inform him that she was a minor. While age misrepresentation is not a defense to a statutory rape charge in North Carolina, explaining the facts of the situation to the prosecutor can help negotiations after a sex offense charges.

In this case, Raleigh criminal attorney Patrick Roberts at the Roberts Law Group PLLC defended the man against the statutory rape charges. Upon learning that the girl lied about her age, defense lawyer Patrick Roberts argued that while his client made a mistake in engaging in a sexual relationship with a minor, he was entirely unaware that she was a minor. He also advocated for his client by encouraging the assigned Assistant District Attorney (ADA) who was prosecuting the case to consider that his client was not a sex predator who should be required to spend the rest of his life on the sex offender registry.

After learning more about the facts of the situation that led to the charges, the ADA agreed to dismiss the statutory rape charges in exchange for the lesser misdemeanor charges. As a result of the criminal defense work by Patrick Roberts, the young man is not facing years in jail or sex offender registration. Instead, he has been placed on probation for the misdemeanor charges.

This case highlights the importance that both men and women exercise extreme caution when meeting people online. Whether starting a relationship on Facebook, MySpace or even dating sites, age misrepresentation is rampant. Women often desire to appear older to be able to meet men. Teens can appear older in their photos by dressing provocatively. Men may lie about their age to pick up women. In nearly all cases, it's best to refrain from staring a relationship with someone online unless the other person's age can be verified to prevent against a North Carolina statutory rape charge.

DISCLAIMER: The cases, facts and outcomes discussed in this press release are illustrative of the matters handled by the firm. Actual case results depend on a variety of factors unique to each case. Not all of the firm's case results are included on this site. The outcome of a particular case cannot be predicated upon a lawyer's or law firm's past results because prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

For more information about the Roberts Law Group, see the criminal defense website and criminal defense blog. Patrick Roberts and Jesse Scharff are skilled criminal attorneys who defend against sex crime charges, DWI charges and abuse charges, among others in Raleigh. To contact criminal lawyer Patrick Roberts or attorney Jesse Scharff, please contact the law firm or call 866-630-2389 for a free consultation. Roberts Law Group can also be followed on Facebook at facebook.com/nc.criminal.defense.

Website: http://www.robertslawteam.com