Federal sex crime defense attorney Irving, TX. Sex-related accusations leave a mark that follows people forever, often more than nearly any other charge. The consequences include long-term imprisonment, enormous fines, and permanent limits on where you may go, live, or work. If you’ve been charged with a federal sex crime or received a target letter from the FBI, you need to call a Irving, TX federal sex crimes lawyer right away to protect your freedoms, future, and reputation.
Combs Waterkotte‘s Irving, TX federal sex crime defense attorneys offer 60+ years of proven defense work, including representation in challenging federal sex crime prosecutions. Whether you made a mistake you regret or are facing false allegations, we believe you deserve the dedicated, aggressive defense that is your constitutional right. Our role is defense, not judgment, and your consultation with us is always completely confidential.
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Reach our Irving, TX federal crime defense lawyers at (314) 900-HELP or contact us online to begin preparing your defense now.
On this page:
- Why certain sex crimes fall under federal law and what triggers federal jurisdiction
- Common categories of federal sex crime charges and how prosecutors handle them
- The punishments and lasting consequences that follow a federal sex crime conviction
- The evidence federal investigators rely on and the ways it can be attacked
- Key defense strategies in federal sex crime cases, from attacking searches and statements to raising entrapment and mitigation
- How Combs Waterkotte builds federal sex crime defenses and the importance of choosing the right lawyer
What Is a Federal Sex Crime?
A sex crime often includes conduct without consent or actions considered unlawful regardless of consent, including prostitution, sex trafficking, and indecent exposure. These offenses are generally prosecuted at the state level.
Federal sex crimes involve many of the same behaviors, but prosecution comes from the U.S. government rather than the state.
Federal sex crimes are different from many other charges because the stakes are extremely high. People convicted of these offenses often face:
- Extended incarceration, often measured in decades
- Mandatory minimum penalties for specific child exploitation or trafficking crimes
- Years of supervised release following incarceration
- Sex offender registration obligations
- Restrictions on where they can live and work
- Irreversible damage to reputation, employment prospects, and family life
When Does a Sex Crime Become Federal?
Most sex crimes are generally charged at the state level. A sex crime becomes federal when it intersects with federal property, interstate activity, or national communication systems like the mail or the internet.
A sex offense may fall under federal jurisdiction in Irving, TXvvvvv for reasons such as:
- Crossing state lines for sexual activity or illegal conduct related to sex
- Using the internet, social media, or apps to commit or attempt to commit a sexual offense
- Using the mail or other interstate services to transmit unlawful items or coordinate with alleged victims
- Offenses on federal property, such as a military base, federal prison, national park, or federal building
- Crimes that involve federal interests, covering conduct affecting federal personnel or federal systems
Who Investigates Federal Sex Crimes?
Federal sex crime investigations usually involve federal investigative bodies with significant expertise. They often involve the following agencies:
- The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
- United States Postal Inspection Service
- Federal military police and other investigative branches
If you are contacted by one of these agencies about a sex offense, the situation is immediately high-risk. Do not answer questions, give a statement, or consent to a search without talking to an experienced Irving, TX federal sex crime defense attorney.
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Types of Federal Sex Crimes We Defend in Irving, TX
Dozens of federal sex crimes are listed throughout Title 18 of the U.S. Code. Our Irving, TX federal sex crime lawyers defend every one of them, but these are the charges we encounter most often:
Sexual Abuse and Aggravated Sexual Abuse
The federal statutes on sexual abuse and aggravated sexual abuse cover situations involving coercion, physical force, or victims legally unable to consent
- Acts of sexual violence or threats of harm
- Offenses where a victim is unconscious, intoxicated, drugged, or otherwise unable to consent
- Sexual abuse targeting minors or protected adults within federal jurisdiction
Child Sexual Exploitation and Child Pornography
Federal child exploitation statutes are aggressively enforced nationwide. The most frequent offenses in this category include:
- Sexual exploitation of children, often called production of child pornography
- Distribution and receipt of child pornography, which may involve transferring files digitally
- Possession of child pornography, whether stored on digital devices or cloud accounts
- Causing a minor to participate in explicit content or live-streamed acts
Production offenses almost always carry mandatory minimum prison sentences. Even possession alone can lead to long prison terms, lifetime supervised release, and sex offender registration.
Online Enticement and Internet-Based Offenses
Child pornography laws are only one part of federal internet sex crime prosecutions. Frequently charged offenses include:
- Coercion and enticement of a minor via digital platforms including messaging apps and online chat
- Traveling to meet someone believed to be a minor for illegal sexual activity
- Transmitting explicit content to a person believed to be a minor
- Attempt-related offenses arising from undercover federal investigations
Often, these cases involve undercover agents pretending to be minors online. Federal prosecutors can pursue charges even when the “minor” is actually an undercover agent.
Sex Trafficking of Adults and Minors
Sex trafficking laws at the federal level are expansive and impose extremely harsh penalties. Sex trafficking typically involves:
- Forcing or pressuring someone to engage in sexual conduct in exchange for money, shelter, drugs, or value
- Directing, moving, or sheltering individuals to facilitate sexual exploitation
- Sexual activity with a minor involving any exchange of value, even absent threats or force
Federal trafficking charges in Irving, TX often bring decades of imprisonment plus lifetime registration.
Kidnapping and Transport for Sexual Purposes
Federal sex crime charges may stem from interstate movement or unlawful restraint. Such cases may involve:
- Kidnapping associated with sexual criminal conduct
- Transporting someone across state lines for illegal sexual activity
- Coercing or deceiving victims into travel for exploitation
How Is a Federal Sex Crime Different from a State Sex Crime in Irving, TX?
Federal sex crime cases in Irving, TX operate under a different court structure, different procedural rules, and generally impose harsher sentencing than state cases.
The most significant differences include:
- Federal judges and prosecutors handle these cases in federal district courts
- Federal rules of evidence and procedure are generally more complicated and demanding than the rules in Irving, TX state courts.
- Federal courts and investigators have a much higher budget than most state courts and law enforcement, along with specialized technology, digital forensics labs, multi-team task forces, multi-state investigations, and undercover agents
- The United States Sentencing Guidelines tend to require stronger penalties and increased mandatory minimums, and sentences can be increased substantially based on the age of the victim, use of force, number of victims/images, and other aggravating factors.
Penalties and Consequences in Federal Sex Crime Cases in Irving, TX
Federal sex crime punishments often include long prison terms, with consequences that continue long after someone leaves prison.
Prison Sentences and Supervised Release
Federal sex crime statutes often include:
- Lengthy maximum sentences under federal law
- Mandatory minimum sentences that limit a judge’s flexibility
- Lengthy supervised release requirements, occasionally lasting the rest of a defendant’s life
Conditions of supervised release typically involve limits on travel, internet restrictions, mandatory treatment, and intensive oversight by probation.
Sex Offender Registration and Restrictions
Nearly all federal sex crime convictions require sex offender registration. Registration typically causes:
- Your information appearing in publicly accessible databases
- Restrictions on employment and housing options
- Routine reporting requirements to maintain registry compliance
- Problems obtaining work or housing because registration appears on background checks
Collateral Consequences
The impact of a federal sex crime conviction reaches far beyond prison time or fines:
- Immediate or eventual job loss
- Loss of professional licenses and certifications
- Harm to family ties and possible custody or parenting problems
- Serious immigration issues, including possible removal from the U.S.
- Social isolation and long-term stigma
What Evidence Is Used in Federal Sex Crime Investigations in Irving, TX?
Federal prosecutors typically build these cases using digital records, witness accounts, and forensic testing. A strong defense requires knowing how this evidence was gathered and how prosecutors intend to use it.
Common Types of Evidence
- Digital evidence including phone extractions, hard drive contents, cloud storage data, chat logs, emails, and social media communications
- Image and video files, including underlying metadata and prior file versions
- Forensic evidence like DNA, fingerprints, and medical examination records
- Statements from alleged victims and witnesses, including interviews and recorded calls
- Undercover communications such as chats, emails, or calls with undercover federal agents
How the Government Collects Evidence
Federal agents often use tools such as:
- Search warrants for homes, vehicles, devices, and online accounts
- Issuing subpoenas to ISPs, social media companies, financial institutions, and others
- Undercover profiles in chat rooms, apps, and websites
- Wiretaps, recorded calls, or monitored communications
How a Federal Sex Crimes Defense Attorney in Irving, TX Challenges the Evidence
A key part of defending federal sex crime charges involves examining how evidence was obtained and assessing its reliability. A defense attorney handling federal sex crime allegations in Irving, TX might:
- Argue that searches or seizures violated constitutional rights
- Argue that warrants were overly broad or improperly issued
- Question whether the government can prove who actually used a device or account
- Scrutinize the government’s forensic analysis and conclusions
- Challenge reliability or credibility issues in witness or victim statements
Defense Strategies in Irving, TX Federal Sex Crime Cases
The most effective defense strategy is built around the details of your specific case and the accusations against you. A knowledgeable Irving, TX federal sex crimes defense attorney evaluates the evidence, the agents’ conduct, and your personal history to achieve the strongest result.
- Challenging searches and seizures
- Warrants lacking probable cause
- Officers searching areas or items not approved by the warrant
- So-called consent searches where the accused felt pressured
- Challenging statements
- Interrogations conducted without proper advisements
- Statements influenced by pressure, threats, or coercion
- Challenging digital and forensic evidence
- Whether the accused actually used the device or account
- Whether digital evidence was preserved and processed properly
- Using outside experts to challenge government forensic findings
- Disputing intent, consent, and knowledge
- Communications that fail to demonstrate criminal purpose
- Instances where consent or age can be part of a valid defense
- Whether you had knowledge of essential facts or circumstances
- Entrapment and government overreach
- Agents pushing conduct the accused would not have initiated
- Excessively forceful undercover operations
- Negotiating reduced charges or sentences
- Negotiating fewer or less serious charges
- Reducing the guideline exposure through negotiation
- Reducing the severity of long-term supervision through mitigation
It is completely understandable to feel intimidated when the U.S. government is on the other side, our Irving, TX federal sex crime defense attorneys at Combs Waterkotte are ready to stand up for you. We stand as the barrier between you and federal prosecutors, fighting for the best result possible—even a full acquittal.
Why Choose Combs Waterkotte for Your Federal Sex Crime Defense in Irving, TX?
Federal sex crime charges call for tough, seasoned, and highly skilled defense attorneys. Combs Waterkotte has built a reputation for taking cases other firms won’t even touch. With your future, freedom, and reputation at stake, you need a defense firm that stands firm no matter how high the stakes.
We offer:
- Decades of combined federal criminal defense experience: Our team has years of experience in complicated federal cases featuring digital forensics, multi-agency task forces, strict mandatory minimums, and highly sensitive accusations.
- A team that knows how the government thinks: Our team features two former prosecutors who used to pursue violent and high-stakes sex crime charges, including child-related offenses. We are familiar with the strategies and tactics the government uses in building federal sex crime prosecutions. One of our attorneys earned a rare spot as one of 25 prosecutors in the nation invited to the The Secret Service National Computer Forensic Institute.
- Access to top experts and investigative resources: We draw on a network of digital forensic specialists, medical and psychological experts, and veteran investigators to push back against the government’s version of events.
- Clear, honest, client-centered communication: We keep you informed at every step so you understand what is happening and what comes next. We don’t charge by the hour, and you’ll have the personal cell number of the attorney leading your defense, so you can call us any time day or night with questions about your case at no extra charge.
- Relentless advocacy inside and outside the courtroom: Whether through seeking dismissal, negotiating reduced charges, or taking your case to trial, we fight to safeguard your rights and pursue the best result.
- Complete discretion and confidentiality: We protect your confidentiality and handle your situation with the sensitivity and respect it requires.
When the rest of your life is at stake, choosing the right Irving, TX defense team matters. To the government, you’re just a case number. To many firms, your case may be just another folder in a pile. At Combs Waterkotte, you are the reason we exist.
When the rest of your life is at stake, choosing the right Irving, TX defense team matters. To the government, you’re just a case number. To other criminal defense firms, you’re just a desk file. At Combs Waterkotte, you are the reason we exist.
Call a Federal Sex Crimes Defense Attorney in Irving, TX to Start Building Your Defense Today
If federal agents are investigating you or you’ve been charged with a sex offense, you must not handle it on your own. Time is critical, and even small decisions can have major consequences.
Speak with a federal sex crimes defense attorney in Irving, TX immediately for confidential direction on your rights and possible defenses. The earlier you get help, the stronger your defense can be, the more effectively evidence can be challenged, and the better your long-term future can be protected. Call (314) 900-HELP or contact us online today for a free consultation.
