If you or a family member has been accused of improper sexual activity, you may be wondering about the seriousness of the situation when allegations are made about sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual abuse or other sexual offenses.
The answer is: Such claims can be very serious—even if later they’re proven to be false.
Indeed, whether or not a criminal charge follows an accusation of a sexual offense, such allegations themselves can be damaging. And it’s best to get out in front of any such claim by engaging an experienced sex crime defense lawyer or attorney.
Sexual offense claims have consequences
As for ways in which a claim alone of a sexual offense can be damaging, consider this: Many people have lost their jobs and had their careers and reputations stained, if not ruined, due to such claims, even if they’re later proven to be untrue.
Yes, even if a formal criminal charge is never made, or even if a defendant is found not guilty when facing such a charge in court, an accused person can face severe consequences when it comes to alleged sexual offenses.
Why Do People Make False Sex Abuse Allegations?
Many innocent Americans are falsely accused of sex crimes each year for a variety of reasons. Learn how to protect your rights.
Realtors president resigns amid sexual harassment claims
Take the current case of Kenny Parcell, who was president of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), a trade association that dominates America’s real estate industry.
With 1.5 million dues-paying members, the non-profit NAR is the largest professional organization in America, reports The New York Times.
It’s also powerful. Only NAR members can use the title of “Realtor,” which the NAR itself has trademarked.
Further, the Chicago-based NAR has $1 billion in assets, and its political action committee raised over $80 million for the 2022 election cycle.
According to CNN, the association announced on Monday, August 28, that Parcell had resigned as president, effective immediately. Though he is not facing a criminal charge, he is embroiled in sexual harassment allegations.
Two days earlier, The New York Times published an article featuring complaints from former and current NAR employees about an NAR culture that made its staff and members afraid to speak up about sexual harassment.
The same article also gave details concerning complaints directed toward Parcell, including claims of improper touching and sending lewd texts and photos. In the article, Parcell denied such accusations.
Although two-thirds of the NAR’s membership are women, the top leaders of its 350 full-time staff are mostly men. However, the NAR’s president-elect, Tracy Kasper, is a woman. And she will step in early to take over the rest of Parcell’s 1-year term as president (due to end in November), then serve her own term.
Can criminal charges follow a sex crime accusation?
In case you’re wondering if allegations alone of a sexual offense can be followed by a criminal charge, they can, depending on the individual case.
No criminal charges have been filed against Parcell—and they may not be.
But others who have been accused publicly of sex crimes later have had to face criminal charges of sexual offenses—and the legal battles that follow.
Losing such battles can mean spending years in prison and paying hefty fines, which is why it’s imperative for accused persons to engage a knowledgeable sex crime defense lawyer to defend their legal rights.
How to Refute a False Sex Crime Charge
Learn what you should and shouldn’t do if you’re falsely accused of a sex crime in Texas.
TV star may face life in prison after rape claims led to charges
Take the case of actor Danny Masterson, a former star of the Fox Network sitcom That ‘70s Show.
In 2017, Masterson faced claims that he’d committed rape against women at his Hollywood home about 20 years earlier. Though not charged with the crime at that time—only accused—Masterson was fired from the Netflix series The Ranch. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Police Department began investigating.
It wasn’t until 2020 that Masterson was formally charged with 3 counts of felony rape. Three years after that—on May 31, 2023—he was found guilty at trial by a jury in Los Angeles of 2 counts of felony rape, with the third count declared a mistrial.
Masterson, 47, was taken into custody upon his conviction, and he has tried to delay his sentencing hearing, apparently to seek a new trial. But the judge in his case has denied that.
Instead, his sentencing hearing is set to occur as scheduled on September 7. At that time, he could face a maximum sentence of 30 years to life in state prison, according to MyNewsLA.com.
Texas sex crime laws also are harsh
Penalties for sex crimes also can be severe under Texas sex crime laws.
The term “rape” is not used in such laws in Texas; the term “sexual assault” is used instead. Yet the crime is essentially the same and carries serious penalties.
As a second-degree felony, sexual assault in Texas can lead to a prison sentence of 2 to 20 years upon conviction, as well as a fine of as much as $10,000.
Worse, sex crimes involving children can lead to a life sentence in prison. A defendant could face up to 99 years in state prison for continuous sexual abuse of a child or for deviate sexual intercourse involving a child.
Get a skilled Houston-area sex crime defense lawyer
Clearly, if you or a loved one in the Houston area faces a charge or a possible charge of a sexual offense, you must engage a skilled Houston criminal defense lawyer to handle your case.
Houston’s Neal Davis Law Firm is experienced in defending the legal rights of those charged with sex crimes. Many such persons are victims themselves of mistaken identities or of false claims made as forms of revenge or to gain an advantage in custody battles.
Whatever the situation, you’re entitled to your day in court and to a legal defense.
You must take any claim, allegation, accusation or charge of a sex crime seriously, and then get the legal help that you need. Contact us today to arrange a confidential consultation for your case.
