There are few crimes with more of a negative social stigma than a sex-related offense. Most people in the community will think you are guilty before you've even had your day in court. Your career, reputation, and your family's well-being can be destroyed by the accusation alone—and that is only the beginning. If you are convicted of a sex crime in Florida, you will almost certainly go to prison for many years and be permanently designated as a sex offender.

My name is Tim Flaherty. Since 2001, I have been defending clients charged with sex crimes in Fort Walton Beach and the surrounding areas. My partner Brandy Merrifield has worked with me since 2007. Brandy and I are knowledgeable sex crime defense lawyers who have the expertise, trial experience, and reputation to give you the best possible chance of successfully resolving your case.

Exercise Your Right to Remain Silent and Have an Attorney Present

If the police want to talk to you about a sex crime allegation, our advice is to tell them that you will NOT talk to them without your attorney present. The police officers who are investigating you for a sex crime have already talked to the alleged victim, and they already believe him or her. That means they already believe you are guilty and are ready to charge you.

The biggest mistake you could make would be talking to the police without having an attorney present. Tell the police you aren't saying a word without your attorney, then pick up the phone and call Flaherty & Merrifield at 850-374-6273. We will call the officer and tell him that you are not available to make any statements. That should get them to leave you alone.

We will tell the officer directly that you are represented by counsel, and you will not be speaking to them outside of our presence. Then, we will decide together whether it makes sense to give a statement to the police. If we decide to do so, it will be on our terms, not theirs.

Our Sex Crimes Defense Practice Areas

The following is a list of the sexually related charges we defend:

Florida Sex Crimes Carry Harsh Criminal Penalties

All sex crime allegations in Florida are felony offenses punishable by many years in prison if you are convicted. There are also sentencing enhancements that apply that, depending on the facts in your case, dramatically increase the sentencing exposure.

In order to calculate someone's possible prison sentence, Florida uses the Florida Criminal Punishment Code Scoresheet. This scoresheet is used to assign a point value to every possible criminal charge. Those points, along with points for sentencing enhancements or prior record, are fed into an equation. That equation results in a number that is the minimum number of months you must serve in prison if convicted.

The equation is the number of points minus 28 and then multiplied by 0.75. We've dedicated an entire page of our website to explaining this complex formula. Here are a few examples.

Sexual Battery With No Force

Sexual battery is a Level 8 offense that scores 74 points and has a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. There are also additional points added for sexual contact (40 points) or sexual penetration (80 points). Determining whether there is a minimum prison sentence is calculated as follows:

  • Sexual contact points added: 74 points + 40 contact points = 114 points. 114 – 28 = 86. 86 x 0.75 = 64.5 months in prison
  • Sexual penetration points added: 74 points + 80 penetration points = 154. 154 – 28 = 126. 126 x 0.75 = 94.5 months in prison

Lewd or Lascivious Molestation

Lewd and lascivious molestation is a Level 7 offense, which scores 56 points. An additional 40 points can be added for sexual contact.

  • 56 points + 40 contact points = 96. 96 – 28 = 68. 68 x 0.75 = 51 months in prison

Potential Sex Crime Penalties by Charge

A table outlining various Florida sex crimes and their penalties:

Charge Statute Misdemeanor/
Felony
Degree Maximum Penalty
Sexual Battery of a victim 12 years or older without force 794.011(5) Felony 2nd 15 years prison and $10,000 fine
Lewd or Lascivious Molestation; victim 12 years of age or older but less than 16 years of age; offender less than 18 years 800.04(5)(d) Felony 3rd 5 years prison and $5,000 fine
Lewd or Lascivious Battery 800.04(4) Felony 2nd 15 years prison and $10,000 fine
Soliciting a minor for sex using a computer 874.0135(3)(a) Felony 3rd 5 years prison and $5,000 fine
Traveling to meet a minor for sexual activity 847.0135(4) Felony 2nd 15 years prison and $10,000 fine
Sexual Battery on a victim less than 12 by a person 18 years or older 794.011(2) Felony Capital Felony Life in prison
Unlawful sexual activity with specified minor 794.05(1) Felony 2nd 15 years prison and $10,000 fine
Lewd or Lascivious Conduct 800.04(6)(b) Felony 2nd 15 years prison and $10,000 fine
Sexual Battery of a victim less than 12 years old by a person less than 18 years old 794.011(2) Felony Life Life in prison and $15,000
Sexual Battery with the use of a weapon 794.011(3) Felony Life Life in prison and $15,000
Lewd or Lascivious Exhibition; offender 18 years of age or older 800.04(7)(b) Felony 2nd 15 years prison and $10,000 fine
Solicitation of a minor to participate in sexual activity by custodial adult 794.011(8)(a) Felony 3rd 5 years prison and $5,000 fine
Lewd or Lascivious Exhibition in the presence of an elderly person or disabled adult 825.1025(4) Felony 3rd 5 years prison and $5,000 fine
Video Voyeurism 810.145(2)(a) Felony 3rd 5 years prison and $5,000 fine
Indecent Exposure of Sexual Organs 800.03 Misdemeanor 1st 1 year jail, $1,000.00 fine and 1 year driver’s license suspension
Indecent Exposure of Sexual Organs in the presence of a person younger than 16 800.04 Felony 2nd 15 years prison and $10,000 fine

Defending Clients Against Damaging Sex Crimes Accusations and Charges

Even though you're scared and stressed out, remember that you are still entitled to a defense and to have your day in court. Nothing is over yet. Don't give up hope.

Start taking steps now, before it is too late, to protect yourself. The first and most important thing you should consider doing is hiring the best criminal defense lawyer you can find. Your decisions on this issue could make all the difference in whether you go to prison or you go free.

We believe that we are the right team to defend a sex crime accusation in the Fort Walton Beach area, but we don't expect you to just take our word for it. Take a look at our testimonials and client reviews on Google. You will see that we know what we are doing. You will also see that our team knows how to treat people with compassion as they go through this distressing ordeal.

Have You Been Arrested For a Sex Crime in Florida?

If you've been arrested for a sex crime in Florida you need to speak with an experienced sex crimes attorney as soon as possible. Contact us online or call our Fort Walton Beach office directly at 850.243.6097 to schedule your free consultation.