Internet Luring of a Child Lawyer in Weld County, Colorado
Top Greeley Child Internet Police Sting and Entrapment Attorney
Internet Luring of a Child is charged in Greeley and throughout Weld County any time a person goes online, engages in sexual conversation with a child under the age of 15, and invites the child to meet in person. This felony internet sex crime, is most often the work of Weld County Sheriff and Greeley police posing as a child or a mother with children in a police sting. Police will direct online chats to sexual discussions and prompt you to make sexual remarks and an invitation to meet, bordering on entrapment. If you have been charged with Internet Luring of a Child or a similar crime like Enticement of a Child, you must remain silent and contact an experienced sex crimes lawyer immediately. Your future, freedoms, and finances are in jeopardy, and only the best criminal defense attorney can successfully protect you.
Weld County Court Definition of Internet Luring of a Child, C.R.S. 18-3-306
At the Weld County Court, Internet Luring of a Child, C.R.S. 18-3-306, is defined as:
In other words, an Internet Luring of a Child charge comprises the following elements:
- The actor communicates through a computer network, texting, or other similar medium with a child under the age of 15.
- The actor knows or believes that the child is under the age of 15.
- The actor describes explicit sexual conduct to the child.
- The actor invites the child to meet in person for any purpose after describing explicit sexual conduct.
Greeley Police Sting Operations
Don’t Take the Bait – Keep Your Future Safe from Entrapment by the Weld County Sheriff
Some people who are charged with Internet Luring are arrested because of a sting operation conducted by Greeley Police and the Weld County Sheriff. Despite the fact that sting operations often border on entrapment, they remain a common tactic used by law enforcement. During a sting operation, a Greeley Police Officer goes online and poses as a mother with kids, child or preteen. If an adult engages in conversation with them, they will communicate with the adult and assume the persona of a child under the age of 15. Then, if the adult continues to talk to the pretend “child,” police will eventually lead the conversation to explicit sexual conduct, and seek an invitation from the adult to meet for any purpose. If that occurs, the Greeley Police will find and apprehend the adult.
While sting operations are hailed by many as a good way to catch potential “sex predators,” they can also entrap people into committing crimes they would never commit otherwise. One of the best ways to protect yourself from a sting operation is to not engage in online conversations with children of any age. This approach may seem unnecessary, but it can help you from unwittingly becoming bait in a sting operation.
The High Stakes of Internet Luring Charges in Weld County: Indeterminate Sentences
One of the greatest threats of an Internet Luring charge in Weld County is the possibility of an indeterminate sentence. Many felony sex offenses are subject to indeterminate sentences, meaning that if convicted, the defendant is not given a release date from the Colorado DOC. They are only given a minimum sentence that they must serve in the DOC. The defendant never knows if or when they’ll ever be released, and may be incarcerated indefinitely. Unfortunately, there is a real possibility they may spend the rest of their life behind bars.
If you have been charged with Internet Luring, your best chance at avoiding the possibility of lifelong incarceration is by hiring a top criminal defense lawyer to represent you at the Weld County Courts. Trust us – the attorney from our law firm you choose to represent you knows how the court system works. Few criminal offenses put defendants’ futures in jeopardy like sex crime charges. Only the best defense lawyer can help you successfully protect yourself and your future.
Colorado DOC Time + Other Penalties for Internet Luring of a Child in Greeley
In Greeley, Internet Luring can be a class 5 or class 4 felony, depending on the defendant’s intent for inviting the child to meet. In either case, a defendant convicted of this offense will often be sentenced to time at the Colorado DOC, fines, and many other penalties. If the defendant intended to meet with the child for the purpose of sexual exploitation or to engage in sexual contact, Internet Luring is charged as a class 4 felony. Otherwise, all other circumstances of Internet Luring are charged as class 5 felony crimes.
Internet Luring is only subject to an indeterminate sentence when charged as a class 4 felony. Hence, the potential penalties for a defendant convicted of class 5 felony Internet Luring are considerably lower. See the table below for a comparison of the different penalties:
Class 5 felony / F5 Internet Luring |
Class 4 felony / F4 Internet Luring |
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Why You Need the Best Weld County Criminal Defense Lawyer
If you have been charged with Internet Luring of a Child or a similar Internet sex crime, you will need the best criminal defense lawyer to represent you at the Weld County Court. Between registration on the sex offender registry, tens of thousands of dollars in fines, and the likelihood of an indeterminate sentence, you cannot afford to take on your charges alone.
Only our law firm with more than 30 years of experience defending clients against sex crimes, has the expertise and dedication to defend you well. Don’t wait to contact the best Greeley criminal defense lawyer today. The sooner you talk to an experienced attorney, the sooner you can live in freedom again.