The Ocala Internet Sex Crime Lawyers at Whittel & Melton work tirelessly to provide top legal representation to those charged with crimes related to “sexting” or transmission of harmful material to minors.
Ocala, Florida – An anonymous tip to Marion County, Florida police regarding harmful material between a 36-year-old man and a 16-year-old female resulted in the man’s arrest on Monday evening.
According to the arrest report, late last month the pair had allegedly exchanged explicit sexual messages.
The man allegedly said the messages were to make his ex-wife angry and he did not have sexual relations with the teen.
He was booked into the Marion County Jail and charged with transmission of harmful material to minors by electronic devices.
This type of charge is another type of Internet-related offense that has recently been spotlighted in the realm of sex crimes. Transmission of material to a minor is considered harmful under Florida law when the material displays nudity, sexual conduct or sexual excitement. Any electronic transmission of obscene material to a person under the age of 18 can result in sex crime charges. This crime can be completed online, through the mail, in person or through various other avenues.
Florida criminal statutes make the transmission of harmful material to minors by electronic devices a third-degree felony. Being convicted of this crime is punishable by up to five years for every inappropriate image transmitted. This means that the prosecution can charge you with multiple counts for any series of images sent to a child under the age of 18.
Society views sex crimes of any kind involving minors quite harshly, so it is extremely important to contact a skilled Transmission of Material Harmful to a Minor Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer immediately following your arrest. There are many routes we can explore in defending your cyber crimes case, so call us today.
If you have been arrested for a sex crimes charge involving a minor in Ocala or anywhere else in the state of Florida, contact the Florida Sex Crimes Defense Lawyers online or call us at our Ocala office at 352-369-5334 or reach us toll-free at 866-608-5529.