Traveling to Meet a Minor for Sexual Relations
If you are unfamiliar with the charge of Traveling to Meet a Minor but are accused of this crime, you may find this information helpful. There are several new programs, most notable, NBC's To Catch A Predator, where police officers work in conjunction with the news program to catch people who are trying to engage in a sexual relationship with a child.
Police pose as a person who is looking for a relationship in classified ads, classified sites, and social networking sites. The police decoy, or pose, as a child or person with access to a child, and engage in communications with the accused. Communication with the undercover police officer can be by email, text message, electronic messaging service (EMS), social networking sites and/or phone. If the content and tone of the conversation turn sexual and it is revealed that the sexual acts involve a child. Once the accused arrives at a meeting place with the plan of meeting with a child or teenager, police arrest the accused for traveling to meet a minor.
Whether you are caught as part of the news program or as part of a police department's sting operation, any comments you make as well as what personal possessions you have in your pocket, bag or car may be used against you. Additionally, there may be recordings of the calls, messages, photographs or videos that you sent.
If you have seen the news programs, you have seen what happened before the catch and the arrest. What you have not seen are the possible defenses, the punishment, the social stigma and registry as a sex offender. If you have been arrested or are being investigated for traveling to meet a minor, call Jeanette Dejuras Bigney, P.A.
The Legal Definition of Traveling to Meet a Minor
Under Florida Law, traveling to meet a minor (anyone under the age of 18 years) is legally defined as any person who travels any distance either within this state, to this state, or from this state by any means, who attempts to do so, or who causes another to do so or to attempt to do so for the purpose of engaging in any legal act described in chapter 794 (sexual battery), chapter 800 (lewd or lascivious), or chapter 827 (abuse of children), or to otherwise engage in other unlawful conduct with a child or with another person believed by the person to be a child after using a computer online service, Internet service, local bulletin board service, or any other device capable of electronic data storage or transmission to:
(a) Seduce, solicit, lure, or entice or attempt to seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a child or another person believed by the person to be a child, to engage in any illegal act described in chapter 794 (sexual battery), chapter 800 (lewd or lascivious), or chapter 827 (abuse of children), or to otherwise engage in other unlawful conduct with a child; or
(b) Solicit, lure, or entice or attempt to solicit, lure, or entice a parent, legal
guardian, or custodian of a child or a person believed to be a parent, legal guardian, or custodian of a child to consent to the participation of such child in any act described in chapter 794 (sexual battery), chapter 800 (lewd or lascivious), or chapter 827 (abuse of children), or to otherwise engage in other unlawful conduct.
If You Are Found Guilty of Traveling to Meet A Minor
The punishment for this crime is can be severe. Traveling to meet a minor is a second degree felony punishable by up to 15 years of prison and a $10,000.00 fine. Unless there is mitigation or a lawful reason for a downward departure (lesser sentence), the statutory minimum sentence for this crime is 21 months prison. In addition to any sentence, a person convicted of this offense will be required to register as a sex offender and potentially be subjected to involuntarily civil commitment.
Additionally, those who have traveled over state or county lines charges may be filed in multiple jurisdictions. For example, an accused living in Georgia who corresponds with a "minor" for purpose of sexual relations and meets the "minor" in Florida may be charged in Georgia State Court, Florida State Court and Federal Court.
