Crimes against children are some of the most serious offenses in Illinois. Prosecutors pursue these cases aggressively, often to make examples out of the accused, and convictions lead to long prison sentences, lifetime registration as a sex offender, and extremely serious personal and professional consequences.
If you are facing allegations of a sex crime against a child, you need to know what you are up against. Even false accusations can lead to arrests, damaged reputations, and intrusive investigations. The sooner you get an Arlington Heights, IL criminal defense attorney for sex crimes involving minors on your side, the more likely you are to improve the outcome of your case.
Here are some of the most common sex crimes against children in Illinois and the consequences a conviction carries.
Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child
720 ILCS 5/11-1.40 defines predatory criminal sexual assault of a child as an act of sexual contact with a child under 13 by a person 17 or older. This is one of Illinois’s most serious sex crimes and carries harsh penalties.