Tag Archives: INTERNET

What criminal sex charges will I be facing?

Q: I’m 28 years old and from Pittsburgh. I was on an online dating website and I talked to a girl. After a while of talking she told me she was 15. I am from another state where sex is legal at 14 and I have been sexually active since I was 14. I told her I didn’t mind that she was 15 because I didn’t know it was illegal in PA. Then me and her started to exchange nude pictures. We made plans to meet at the movies. Then I get a message on my phone from her saying that the police had all the transcripts and were going to arrest me soon and that when I was walking around looking for her at the movies it was just to get me on camera to prove I was there. Then she tells me she is from the activist group POP SQUAD on you tube that catch criminals for sex crimes and post the conversations. I looked them up and there are 1000s of videos and the police actively work with them. My question is what kind of charges I am looking at and what are the punishments for those charges? (Cranberry Twp., PA)

A: It doesn’t matter what the law is in the state in which you previously resided. You are bound by the laws of the jurisdiction in which you allegedly commit a crime. I also find it strange that any state allows adults to have sex with minors age 14, but I only know the laws of PA. Recordings of the telephone conversation, if they exist, would not be admissible under PA wiretap laws unless you consented to the recording. If there are emails with photos and she appears to be under age 16, you may be charged with an internet sex crime. If you went to meet her, they may have you on an attempt of a felony solicitation of a minor. However, walking around a movie theater may not be enough. My suggestion is to not discuss this on the internet anymore nor discuss it with anyone other than an attorney that you hire. I have not had a case like this in several years. The last one I had, my client drove to a Walmart to meet a girl and he was nabbed inside the entrance doors of Walmart by the County Police. Everything about this sounds strange, especially if you haven’t been contacted by the police. It also sounds strange that she is telling you the police will arresting you soon. If the police were involved, they would not tell her to say that. This group may not be who they appear to be on the internet. I would not talk to them at all and certainly do not pay money to anyone. I would keep my fingers crossed, lay low for a while and if you hear from the police, do not make any statements to them-nothing- and hire a lawyer and follow his advice explicitly.

Will I get arrested for lying about drugs on Facebook messenger?

Q: I was trying to convince someone I was messed up so they would leave me alone so I said I was having sex for heroin. After I blocked the man (from Florida) on Facebook he drove to Green Tree (Pittsburgh) and messaged me after I told him I wanted no further contact and said he was going to the DA’s office to report prostitution. I was wondering if I could be arrested for that even though I have no drugs in my system. I was trying to get him to think I was too sick to be involved with him because he wanted me to move with him to Florida when I barely know him. He knows a lot about the legal system though which scares me. (Greentree, PA)

A:  If he is someone that trolls for sex on the internet and is desperate enough to drive to Pittsburgh from Florida for it, it is doubtful he will speak to law enforcement regarding his interactions with you. His threat of reporting you is just more manipulation that he hopes you will fall for. He probably knows the criminal justice system because he has been through it. His actions also sound closer to extortion and harassment.

Sexting

Q: Hi. I met a woman on a site where you post Snapchat names claiming to be 18-20. I asked her age and she said 18 on two separate occasions. She sent me no nude pics but I did send a nude picture of myself. She sent a video sucking on a pen and selfies. Again, no nudity from her. I have no reason to suspect she lied about her age but now I am stressed if she did. What is the outcome if she lied? (Pittsburgh, PA)

A: Whatever you do, do not send her “father” a gift card in exchange for his promise not to prosecute.

CAN I GET CRIMINAL CHARGES ON MY EX FOR HACKING INTO FACEBOOK?

Q: My ex boyfriend hacked into my Facebook account. I discovered the IP address from where the device was located in my email.

A: You can ask the police or DA if they will file criminal charges for harassment. Harassment charges are more likely to be filed if the contact is continuing. The police are not likely to file charges with this one instance, but you may at least want to file a police report.