Sex Crimes Lawyer in Massachusetts
Being accused of a sex crime is not something you can talk your way out of. The accusation alone can trigger a police investigation and affect your job, housing, and relationships before a single charge is ever filed. People often underestimate how fast the process moves or how much the early stages shape everything that follows. What you do in the first hours and days carries real weight, and the wrong move is difficult to undo.
Do Not Talk to Police Before You Have an Attorney
The impulse to explain yourself is natural. In a sex crime investigation, that impulse can cause problems.
Under Massachusetts Criminal Procedure Rule 7, if you are arrested without a warrant, a judicial determination of probable cause must occur within 24 hours. If you have not been arrested, you may receive notice of a show cause hearing before a clerk magistrate, which happens before a formal complaint is issued. Criminal procedure moves through formal steps, including possible arraignment and indictment, and anything you say to investigators before you have legal guidance can become part of the case.
Know the Charges and What Comes With Them
Massachusetts sex crimes fall under several statutes with different penalties. M.G.L. c. 265, § 22 covers rape and can carry up to 20 years in state prison, with greater exposure in aggravated cases. Indecent assault and battery on a person 14 or older under § 13H carries up to five years in state prison. Charges involving a child under 14 under § 13B, or under 16 under § 23, cannot be continued without a finding or placed on file.
At your first court appearance, M.G.L. c. 276, § 58A allows the Commonwealth to seek pretrial detention or restrictive release conditions in qualifying felony cases based on dangerousness. A conviction can also require registration with the Massachusetts Sex Offender Registry Board, which affects housing, employment, and public records well beyond any sentence served.
Avoid Contact and Hold on to Your Records
Do not reach out to the person who made the accusation, witnesses, or anyone else connected to the case. Under M.G.L. c. 268, § 13B, intimidating witnesses or people furnishing information in a criminal proceeding is its own crime. A message meant to apologize or explain can become a separate legal issue.
Keep anything potentially relevant, including messages, call logs, photos, location data, and receipts. Also, note the names of anyone who saw you before or after the alleged incident. Do not delete or edit anything. Give everything to your attorney.
Contact Riccio Law Before the Case Gets Ahead of You
At Riccio Law, we represent people facing sex crime accusations in Boston and throughout Massachusetts. These cases move quickly, and decisions made before you have counsel can follow you through the entire process. If you have been accused or contacted by police, call us at (617) 404-8878 to talk through where things stand. Contact a criminal lawyer today.
