Sex Crimes Attorney in New Jersey

Let our NJ sex crime lawyer help you prove your innocence.

In New Jersey, sex crimes are serious criminal offenses. Prosecutors vigorously pursue convictions and harsh sentences for such crimes. If you’ve been charged with a sex crime in New Jersey, a conviction could result in significant consequences to your reputation, freedom, and future.

At the Law Office of Jason A. Volet, our New Jersey sex crimes lawyers will advise you about your options for facing and resolving your charges. With thousands of cases and over 15 years of experience in the New Jersey criminal justice system, Jason A. Volet understands both sides of the law. That’s because he has worked as both a prosecutor and a criminal defense attorney. He’s been certified as a criminal trial attorney by the New Jersey Supreme Court, and he knows how to build criminal cases with effective defenses to sex crime charges. Contact the Law Office of Jason A. Volet today for a free initial case evaluation.

What Are the Legal Penalties for Sex Crimes in New Jersey?

New Jersey law grades sex crimes by degrees, depending on the specific offense. Penalties for a sex crime conviction can include:

Degree Prison Time Fines
First-degree offense 10 to 20 years Up to $200,000
Second-degree offense 5 to 10 years Up to $150,000
Third-degree offense 3 to 5 years Up to $15,000
Fourth-degree offense Up to 18 months Up to $10,000
Disorderly persons offense Up to 6 months Up to $1,000

More severe sex offenses can come with additional fines and jail time, including up to a life sentence and parole supervision for life. However, the penalties don’t end there.

What Other Consequences Are There for Sex Crime Convictions?

Convictions for sex crimes in New Jersey may carry other consequences beyond prison time and fines. Depending on the offense, a convicted sex offender may have to register with the state’s sex offender registry as established by Megan’s Law.

A New Jersey sexual assault lawyer and her client sit in court.A sex crime conviction also results in a criminal record that will show up in background checks for employment, housing, or educational programs. A sex crime on a person’s criminal record may result in disqualification from many forms of employment, including positions that require contact with children or vulnerable persons. Contact our New Jersey sex crime lawyer today.

What Is Megan’s Law in New Jersey?

In New Jersey, Megan’s Law governs the obligations of certain sex offenders to register and report to state authorities. Sex offender registration enables law enforcement officials to monitor known offenders for potential future sex crimes and give the public notice about individuals who have committed sex crimes.

An Overview of Megan’s Law

New Jersey enacted its initial version of Megan’s Law in memory of 7-year-old Megan Kanka. Megan’s neighbor had prior convictions for sex offenses before he sexually assaulted and murdered her in Hamilton, New Jersey, in 1994. Megan’s Law now provides the public with notice of any sex offenders in the community.

The law established a sex offender registry, which requires criminal defendants convicted of specific sex offenses to register on the public registry. The New Jersey State Police maintain the Megan’s Law registry, with most information accessible online. The information included about a particular sex offender depends on the offender’s categorization. Offenders with a high risk of re-offense will have more information listed on the public registry than offenders with a moderate or minimal risk of re-offense.

Differentiating Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 Sexual Offenders

A man touches a woman inappropriately in New Jersey.Sex offenders considered to pose a high risk of committing another sex offense are classified as Tier 3 offenders. These offenders have the most significant amount of personal information published on the public internet registry. Offenders with a moderate risk of re-offense fall into the category of Tier 2 offenders, with most information about them (with certain exceptions) also included on the public registry. Megan’s Law excludes Tier 1 offenders – convicted sex offenders deemed with a low risk of re-offense – from disclosure on the public internet registry. However, law enforcement will know about the sex offender’s status.

Registration Requirements

After committing a first offense requiring registry under Megan’s Law, a person must comply with their registration obligations for 15 years following conviction or release from imprisonment, whichever occurs later. After 15 years, a registrant under Megan’s Law who has not committed another offense may petition to terminate their registration obligations. The court can grant the petition if the registrant likely does not threaten the public.

People with convictions for sexual assault or aggravated sexual assault may not be eligible for removal from the list. Those convicted of two or more sex offenses face lifetime registration obligations and cannot petition to terminate their obligations. Our New Jersey sex crime lawyer can help.

Public Notification

Handcuffs on a keyboard to represent internet sex crimes.Individuals who qualify as Tier 2 or Tier 3 sex offenders will likely have various categories of information published on the state’s internet sex offender registry made available to the public. The information included on the registry includes:

  • A photograph of the registrant and the date of the photograph
  • The registrant’s name and any known aliases
  • The registrant’s address
  • The qualifying sex offenses committed by the registrant
  • A brief description of the offender’s modus operandi (method of offense)
  • Whether officials have deemed the registrant to pose a moderate or high risk of re-offense
  • A physical description of the offender, including gender, age, date of birth, race, hair color, eye color, height, weight, tattoos, or distinguishing scars
  • A description of the offender’s known registered vehicles, including make, model, year, color, and plate number

What Are the Different Types of Sex Crimes in New Jersey?

Examples of sex crimes under New Jersey criminal law include:

  • Luring
  • Child pornography
  • Endangering the welfare of a child
  • Prostitution

What Am I Facing If I was Charged with Aggrivated Sexual Assault in NJ?

Frequently Asked Questions

  • You could be facing as low as a period of probation all the way up to spending twenty years of your life in prison.
  • It will depend on what type of sexual offense you are charged with.




This informational blog post was provided by Jason A. Volet, an experienced New Jersey Sex Crime Lawyer.

  • Aggravated sexual assault is one of the most serious offenses on the books in New Jersey.
  • If you are convicted of an aggravated sexual assault you are looking at a minimum of ten to twenty years in state prison.
  • You must serve 85% of that sentence before you are eligible for parole.
  • You will also be placed on Megan’s Law, and you will be subject to parole supervision for life.
  • You do not have the ability to make an application to come off of parole supervision for life after fifteen years.
  • The prosecutor’s office is required to prove each and every element of that offense before you can be found guilty.




This informational blog post was provided by Jason A. Volet, an experienced New Jersey Sex Crime Attorney.

  • Failure to register with that local police department is in itself, a separate crime of failure to register.
  • This crime is a third-degree indictable offense heard in the superior court, which is punishable by between three and five years in state prison.




This informational blog post was provided by Jason A. Volet, an experienced New Jersey Sex Crime Lawyer.

  • If you’ve been charged with some type of sexual offense in New Jersey, you may be subject to what everybody understands to be Megan’s Law.
  • If you plead guilty to one of the offenses that fall under Megan’s Law, you would be forced to register with your police department.
  • If you fail to register with your police department, you could be charged with a third-degree offense of failure to register, which is punishable with between three to five years in state prison.




This informational blog post was provided by Jason A. Volet, an experienced New Jersey Sex Crime Attorney.

  • If you’ve been charged with certain sexual offenses, you may fall under the parole supervision for life category.
  • That means, in addition to having the registration requirements under Megan’s Law, you will be subject to a minimum of 15 years of parole supervision.
  • You will have a parole officer and that person can limit your access to the internet, computers, and individuals you can live with.
  • If you violate any of these regulations you can be charged with separate crimes and be placed back in prison on the parole violations of themselves.




This informational blog post was provided by Jason A. Volet, an experienced New Jersey Sex Crime Lawyer.

  • If you’re on parole supervision for life, you are subject to certain requirements by parole.
  • For each violation of a condition of parole supervision for life, you are facing between 12 and 18 months in state prison.
  • If you are indicted for a violation of one of the conditions of your parole supervision for life, you are looking at an additional 18 months in state prison.




This informational blog post was provided by Jason A. Volet, an experienced New Jersey Sex Crime Attorney.

What Are New Jersey’s Consent Laws?

In New Jersey, the consent laws govern how and when someone can agree to engage in sexual activity. The consent laws require a person to have the physical and mental capacity to understand the nature and consequences of sexual activity and express that they agree to participate. Consent laws more frequently refer to the age when a person gains the legal capacity to agree to a sexual act.

What Is the Age of Consent in NJ?

In New Jersey, a person must be at least 16 to consent to participate in sexual activity. However, they must be at least 18 to consent to sexual activity with someone who has a “duty to care” for them, meaning someone who has a position of authority or guardianship over the minor.

A man stealing money after sexually assaulting a woman.Anyone under 16 lacks the legal capacity to give informed consent to engage in sexual activity, even if they understand the nature and consequences of that activity. A person over the age of consent who engages in sexual activity with someone under the age of consent commits the crime of statutory rape, even if the person under the age of consent explicitly agrees to participate in sexual activity.

Romeo and Juliet Defense

New Jersey recognizes a “Romeo and Juliet” defense in specific statutory rape cases. The “Romeo and Juliet” defense applies in cases involving two people with an age gap of less than four years where one person is over the age of consent. The defense acknowledges the fact that two minors may enter a relationship where one person crosses into the age of consent before their partner.

How Will a New Jersey Sex Crimes Lawyer Defend You?

Depending on the facts of your case, you may have factual or legal defenses and case strategies that can help you avoid a conviction or the most severe consequences. A New Jersey sex crimes lawyer can help you put forth an effective defense by:

  • Independently investigating your charges to secure all available evidence that might prove helpful in your defense
  • Protecting your rights throughout the case, including going to court to challenge unlawful searches or questioning by investigators
  • Reviewing the facts of your case to identify potential defenses or case strategies, such as asserting mistaken identity or consent or moving to exclude evidence the police unlawfully obtained from you
  • Explaining your charges and the potential outcomes of your case to help you make informed decisions
  • Advising you on your best options at each stage of the case and preparing a compelling defense if you choose to fight your charges at trial

How Much Will a NJ Sex Crimes Defense Attorney Cost?

A lawyer in New Jersey speaks with the jury.The cost of hiring a sex crime defense attorney will depend on various factors, including the charges you face, the complexity of the evidence, and the strength of the prosecution’s case. Usually, a sex crime defense lawyer will work on an hourly fee basis, with the attorney getting paid based on the amount of time they spend on the case.

Although hiring a sex crimes defense lawyer can seem expensive, the consequences of a conviction can have far more devastating financial and personal effects on your life. Retaining an experienced sex crime defense lawyer may mean the difference between preserving your reputation and future or receiving a prison term and a criminal record that can weigh you down for years.

Contact Our Sex Crimes Attorney For Help Today

If you or someone you love is facing sex crime charges in Freehold or Neptune NJ, it is crucial that you contact the New Jersey sex crimes lawyers at the Law Office of Jason A. Volet at 732-391-6877 for information about our services and to discuss the many ways we can help you with this challenging process.

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Contact a Skilled New Jersey Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer

When the police have arrested and charged you with sex crimes under New Jersey law, you need experienced legal counsel to help you protect your rights and interests. Contact the Law Office of Jason A. Volet today. You’ll get a free, confidential consultation where you’ll learn how a New Jersey sex crimes attorney can help you pursue a favorable outcome to your case.

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