Luring Offense Lawyers Camden NJ
Criminal Defense Attorneys for Luring Charges in Camden County, New Jersey
New Jersey law criminalizes the act of luring and enticing a child or adult to protect individuals in the early stages of a kidnap or potential sexual assault. There are two different types of luring offenses: one that applies to luring a child, which is treated with the utmost seriousness and punished very severely, and one for luring an adult, which is also punished heavily. Certainly, luring and enticing charges come with a very serious inference or assumption—that you planned to harm the child or adult by committing a criminal offense against them.
Charges like these can destroy your reputation, career, and much of your life. If convicted, you face the potential of years in prison. All the while, you may be completely innocent of the charges against you and you may never have intended to harm the alleged victim in any way.
Charges for Luring a Child under N.J.S.A. 2C:13-6
Under N.J.S.A. 2C:13-6, New Jersey law defines and criminalizes luring a child as attempting to lure or entice a child or a person that the accused reasonably believes to be a child into a motor vehicle, structure, isolated place, or try to arrange a meeting anywhere else for the purpose of committing a criminal offense with or against that child. This attempt may be made through electronic communication including email, message boards, social media, text messages, and apps, or by any other means.
Luring a child is a second degree crime and New Jersey prosecutors take these charges very seriously for the purpose of protecting children from predators. There is a presumption of incarceration for this offense and, if you are convicted of luring or enticing a child, you will face a minimum of 5 years and up to 10 years in prison. You will be required to register for Megan’s Law, which places your name in New Jersey’s sex offender registry for life. You may also have Parole Supervision for Life (PSL). There are enhanced penalties for second or sequent offenders.
Criminal Charges for Luring an Adult: N.J.S.A. 2C:13-7
It is also a crime, under N.J.S.A. 2C:13-7, to attempt to lure an individual over 18 years of age into a motor vehicle, structure, isolated place, or anywhere else with the purpose to commit a criminal offense with or against that individual.
Luring an adult is a third degree offense, but it still carries the potential for significant penalties including 3 to 5 years of imprisonment, registration as a sex offender, and fines of up to $15,000. The national sex offender registry is available for any and all current and future employers, friends, neighbors, or romantic interests to view information about your conviction and status as a registered sex offender. This record will remain for at least 15 years and usually much longer.
Luring or Enticing Defense Lawyer in New Jersey
A charge for luring and enticing has the potential to destroy your life, but it doesn’t have to. Hiring an experienced criminal defense lawyer immediately is the first step you need to take to build an effective defense against these charges. If you have been charged with luring an adult as a first time offender, your lawyer may be able to get you into a diversionary program called Pre-Trial Intervention.
If you are facing charges of luring a child, it is absolutely pivotal that you contact an experienced lawyer that has handled child sex offense cases before to thoroughly review your case and begin developing a defense strategy. Do not wait—call the lawyers at our firm today.
