Legal Guides

We use plain and simple English to give you an overview of the most common areas of law.

Accused of a sexual offence? What can you do?

A sexual offence accusation when you know that you did nothing wrong is excruciating. Once the accusation has tarnished your reputation, it is difficult to start over with a clean slate and you’ll have a hard time landing a job in the future.

One of the best things to do is fight for your reputation and clear your name, since it does not matter where this leads if you know the truth, you will survive the ordeal.

Cooperate with the investigation

Regardless of your innocence, investigators need to follow specific procedures to process a case. As such, once proven that you are at no fault, your ordeal would have been justified. Look for potential witnesses who can help you in defending yourself. Find people who could testify in your favour and be a character reference. Even if the investigation drags on for far too long, you need to stay calm. Denying the offence in public will not change people’s perception.

Confess if you are guilty

If you are guilty of a misdemeanour, you should be honest about it. For instance, if your office colleague saw you looking at lewd photos on your computer, the IT department already knows what you did. Denying it will not help your case. Besides, wherever you committed these sexual offences, a security camera most likely captured your actions and therefore it is best if you confess and ask for a settlement deal.

Get a lawyer

Guilt is irrelevant in this case and either way, you need to hire a legal representative.  Find a legal expert who specialises this field. You cannot face this battle alone. Sex-related accusations are tough to overcome, especially when you do not have legal counsel by your side. If you are not guilty of anything, you can prove it and even file a case against your accuser for defamation and destroying your integrity. You might have to pay quite a vast sum of money for the legal fees, but your future is on the line.

Stay strong

It is not easy going through this entire process; it’s morally degrading even if you know you did nothing wrong. However, there are also times when you might have committed a misdemeanour that you thought was okay.

Grabbing someone by a body part without permission or sending messages using sexual language may also constitute a sexual offence.

Sex-related crimes take time to reach a conclusion and it’s possible that you may become depressed during the process.

For legal services in this area, contact: J D Spicer Zeb Solicitors

DISCLAIMER: This article should not be regarded as constituting legal advice in relation to particular circumstances, and is merely a general comment on the relevant topic. If specific advice is required in connection with any of the matters covered in this article, please speak to directly.

Published on 10th April 2019
(Last updated 7th May 2021)