Phoenix Luring of a Minor Lawyer

Luring of a Minor Attorney in Phoenix, AZ

In Arizona, luring of a minor is a sex crime that involves targeting someone under the age of 18 for the solicitation of sexual conduct online. This serious crime carries significant penalties, so if you’re facing charges, you need to take action right away. Hire a Phoenix luring of a minor lawyer who can help you build a strong case and pursue a positive outcome.

Trust Grand Canyon Law Group

The team here at Grand Canyon Law Group has honed its skills over years of employment with large firms and government agencies. We have decades of collective experience representing clients facing all varieties of charges, including luring of a minor. If you need a Phoenix sex crime lawyer to help with your case, you can trust us to bring all of our knowledge and experience to bear on your behalf.

Why Hire a Luring of a Minor Lawyer?

In 2024, more than 546,000 reports of children being lured into sexual acts online were reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. That represents an increase of 578% from 2022 and 192% from 2023.

If you’re one of the many adults facing charges of luring of a minor in Phoenix, you should know that the State takes this crime very seriously. You need to hire a luring of a minor lawyer right away to improve your chances of a positive outcome in your case. Your lawyer can assist you with:

• Evaluating the prosecution’s case
• Gathering evidence to support your innocence
• Constructing an alternative theory of the crime
• Interviewing witnesses on your behalf
• Hiring expert witnesses to testify as needed
• Negotiating a good plea deal with the prosecution if you so choose
• Litigating your case in court, should you decide not to take a plea deal

Working with a Phoenix luring of a minor attorney is the most effective way to improve your chances of walking away from your charges. Even if we can’t get your charges dropped entirely, we may be able to negotiate a deal in which you accept lesser charges in return for a shorter prison term.

What Is Luring of a Minor?

Luring of a minor occurs when an adult engages online with a person under the age of 18 with the intention of soliciting sexual acts. It’s often referred to colloquially as “grooming.” Adults can also be charged with luring of a minor if they engage in sexting or sexually explicit chatroom conversations leading up to a request to meet in person for sexual activities.

Many alleged perpetrators of this crime are caught during what are known as sex sting operations. In 2022, Phoenix Homeland Security Investigations partnered with the Surprise Police Department to take down a child sex ring involving 21 adults. Several of the people involved faced luring a minor for sexual exploitation charges.

Luring of a Minor Penalties

If you’re caught soliciting sex from a minor online, you could face significant prison time. Sentences under A.R.S. 13-705 range from five years to life in prison, depending on the age of the alleged victim and the circumstances of the crime. If the alleged victim was under 15 years of age, you can face more substantial penalties. You may also have to register as a sex offender following your release from prison and may face lifetime probation.

The penalties for the offense of luring of a minor who was over the age of 15 include:

• First conviction: For a first offense, you face prison time of three to 12.5 years, fines of up to $15,000, and sex offender registration.
• Second conviction: For a second conviction, you face prison time of 4.5 to 23 years, fines of up to $150,000, and sex offender registration.
• Third conviction: For a third offense, you face prison time of 10.5 to 35 years, fines of up to $150,000, and sex offender registration.

If you send images that are harmful to minors while requesting that they engage in sexual conduct, you could face aggravated luring of a minor charges, which is a Class 2 felony.

Defenses to Luring of a Minor Charges

Your defense lawyer can help you come up with an effective defense against the charges you’re facing that is based on the specifics of your case. Some of the possible defenses they might choose include:

• Mistaken belief that the person was an adult: If you can prove that you reasonably believed you were talking to an adult online, that can be a valid defense against luring of a minor charges. If, for example, the person told you they were 19 before the conversation became explicit, you could use that information to bolster your case.
• Romeo and Juliet laws: If you were under 19, in high school, and less than 24 months older than the alleged victim, you may be able to use Arizona’s Romeo and Juliet law as a defense against the charges.
• False allegations: If the alleged victim made false allegations against you and you can prove that fact in court, you shouldn’t be convicted of luring of a minor charges and may be able to get them dropped.
• Lack of physical evidence: If the prosecution’s case is based exclusively on the alleged victim’s testimony, your attorney may be able to challenge the lack of physical evidence and make claims against the alleged victim’s credibility.
• Illegal search and seizure: If the police obtained evidence via an unlawful search and seizure, that evidence could be suppressed as a result, leaving the prosecution without the proof it needs to have you convicted in court.
• False confession: Police sometimes use coercive interrogation tactics to get people to confess to crimes they haven’t committed. If you were coerced into making a false confession, you may be able to question its admissibility.

Choosing the right strategy to defend against luring of a minor charges requires an in-depth knowledge of both the relevant laws and the specifics of your case. The team at Grand Canyon Law Group takes the time to get to know every aspect of your case, carefully evaluating all of the available evidence and using it to inform their decision as to what type of defense to mount on your behalf.

FAQs About Luring of a Minor

Under Arizona Law, Can I Still Be Convicted of Luring of a Minor if the Person I Was Communicating With Online Was Actually an Undercover Phoenix Police Officer?

Under Arizona law, you can still be convicted of luring of a minor if the person you were communicating with online was actually an undercover Phoenix police officer. Under A.R.S. 13-3554, it is not a defense against this crime that the person was not actually a minor as long as you believed that they were. Undercover officers often pose as minors as part of sting operations, and it’s completely legal.

What Elevates a Standard Luring of a Minor Charge to a Dangerous Crime Against Children (DCAC) in Arizona?

What elevates a standard luring of a minor charge to a dangerous crime against children in Arizona is the age of the victim. If the minor being targeted is under the age of 15, the offense can be elevated under A.R.S. 13-705 from a Class 3 felony to a DCAC. Once classified as a DCAC, the crime can be punished with mandatory prison time with no possibility of probation, suspension of sentence, or early release.

Is It Possible to Face Felony Luring of a Minor Charges Under A.R.S. 13-3554 Even if an In-Person Meeting With the Alleged Minor Never Actually Took Place?

It is possible to face felony luring of a minor charges under A.R.S. 13-3554 even if an in-person meeting with the alleged minor never actually took place. The crime is complete at the time when the adult solicits sexual conduct from the alleged minor, with no further action required for conviction. This is part of what makes undercover stings successful.

What Are the Long-Term Consequences of a Luring of a Minor Conviction in Maricopa County?

The long-term consequences of a luring of a minor conviction in Maricopa County are significant. You face a serious prison sentence and may be placed on lifetime probation following its completion. As a felony, you lose certain rights and face limitations on where you can work and live. You also face mandatory lifetime registration as a sex offender in Arizona.

Your Phoenix Luring of a Minor Lawyer

Luring of a minor is a very serious charge. If you’ve been accused, you should hire a Phoenix luring of a minor lawyer right away. The team here at Grand Canyon Law Group can help. Our legal team has years of experience in representing clients facing sex crime allegations. We know the luring of a minor laws inside and out and can leverage that knowledge to get you a positive outcome in your case. Contact us to schedule an initial consultation today.

Schedule A Consultation With The Grand Canyon Attorney Who Can Help

480-400-5555

Schedule A Consultation