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Lawyer for Crimes Against Children in Columbus, OH

Have You Been Accused of a Crime Against a Child? Call LHA for a Free Consult: (614) 500-3836.

Common Types of Crimes Against Children

There are a number of various crimes that can be committed against children. Below is a listing of child related offenses and additional information on each.

Underage persons offenses
To be charged with underage persons offenses, you must have done any of the following:

  • Sold, bought for or gave alcohol to an underage person, unless it was given by a doctor for medical purposes, given for religious purposes or given with the supervision of a parent, a spouse who’s of legal age or a legal guardian
  • Owned or occupied a public or private place and allowed an underage person to have or consume alcohol, unless it’s given to them by their parent, spouse who’s of legal age or legal guardian, and that person is present
    • You are not culpable if one of your lessees did this and you did not authorize or ignore it
  • Stayed at a hotel, inn, cabin or campground, or ate at a restaurant, when you knew an underage person was going to consume alcohol without supervision by a parent, spouse who’s of legal age or legal guardian
  • Done the same, but with drugs that weren’t prescribed to the person who took them (even if they were, they need to be in their original container)
  • Permitted an underage person to make a reservation at a hotel, inn, cabin or campground, or permitted it to be made for that underage person, when they are intoxicated or have alcohol and are not supervised by a parent, spouse who’s of legal age or legal guardian
Contributing to the delinquency of a child
To be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, you must have acted in way that either caused or could cause a child or ward of the juvenile court to commit an offense.
Nonsupport
To be charged with nonsupport, you must have done any of the following:

  • Abandoned or did not provide adequate support to your spouse, as required by law
  • Abandoned or did not provide adequate support to your child, who is a minor, or to your mentally or physically handicapped child, who is under age 21
  • Abandoned or did not provide adequate support to your elderly or sick parent or adoptive parent, who lacks the ability or means to provide for themselves
  • Abandoned or did not provide adequate support to someone you’re legally obligated to support
  • In any way contributed toward your child becoming either dependent on the state or neglected (lacking medical care, food, education, etc.)
Interference of custody
To be charged with interference of custody, you must have done any of the following:

  • Tried to entice or kept a minor or mentally or physically handicapped person under the age of 21 away from their parent, guardian or custodian
  • Tried to entice or kept someone who is committed by law to an institution for delinquent, unruly, neglected, abused, or dependent children away from their parent, guardian or custodian
  • Tried to entice or kept someone who is committed by law to an institution for the mentally ill or mentally retarded away from their parent, guardian or custodian
  • Contributed in any way to a child leaving custody without consent.
Disseminating matter harmful to juveniles
To be charged with disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, you must have done any of the following:

  • Show, sell or deliver to a minor, or a police officer posing as a minor, any material or performance that is obscene or harmful to minors
  • Offer or agree to do the above
  • While in the presence of the minor or officer posing as a minor, allow them to look at material or a live performance that is harmful to minors

Every day in central Ohio people are charged with various crimes against children. Penalties for the above listed crimes against children charges can range from a first degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail to a fourth degree felony, punishable up to 18 months in prison.

Consequences of Being Convicted of Crimes Against Children

  • Maintaining your current employment
  • Licensure issues in some professions
  • Difficulty getting a good job in the future
  • Difficulty and possible denial in immigration and naturalization proceedings

Simply put, if you are convicted of any of the above listed crimes against children, it could remain on your criminal background for the rest of your life. No matter what the circumstances were in your case, you run the risk of being considered someone who was harmful to and/or committed a crime against a child. Therefore, it is critical that you to give any crimes against children charge the level of importance it deserves.

The Columbus Criminal Defense team takes an aggressive approach in defending clients charged with crimes against children. We will figure out what mistakes the police or detectives made and what other legal issues can be raised on your behalf.

We do this by requesting discovery from the prosecutor and interviewing witnesses. The discovery will generally consist of police reports, additional investigative notes, pictures and recorded interviews. As our client, you will receive a copy of everything received from the prosecutor for your review.

Based on the legal weaknesses in the State of Ohio’s case and any other mitigating factors, we will negotiate the best possible plea available with the prosecutor for you to consider in resolving your case.

If your case cannot be resolved satisfactorily with a plea, it would then proceed to a motion hearing (a hearing where the judge issues a ruling on an evidentiary issue) or a trial to the judge or jury, depending on the circumstances.

For nearly ten years, the Columbus criminal defense team has successfully represented clients on various crimes against children charges. That extensive previous experience will enable us to better help you.

Are you in trouble? Contact our Columbus Defense Attorneys.

If you’ve been charged with any crime against children, it’s important to know what you’re up against. If you have any questions left unanswered by this page, or if you need a competent, experienced attorney to fight for you in court, please contact us at (614) 500-3836 or via email at advice@columbuscriminalattorney.com.

Penalties

Underage persons offenses

Sold, bought for or gave alcohol to an underage person
This is a misdemeanor and carries the following penalties:

  • A jail sentence of up to six months
    • In its place, your judge may sentence you to probation or other community control punishments
  • A fine of $500 to $1,000
Everything else
If your charges weren’t covered above, it’s a misdemeanor of the first degree and carries the following penalties:

  • A jail sentence of up to 180 days
    • In its place, your judge may sentence you to probation or other community control punishments
  • At most, a fine of $1,000

Contributing to the delinquency of a minor

Penalties
This is a misdemeanor of the first degree. Note that each day this goes on is a separate offense. The penalties are as follows:

  • A jail sentence of up to 180 days
    • In its place, your judge may sentence you to probation or other community control punishments
  • At most, a fine of $1,000

Nonsupport

Nonsupport of dependents
This is a misdemeanor of the first degree and carries the following penalties:

  • A jail sentence of up to 180 days
    • In its place, your judge may sentence you to probation or other community control punishments
  • At most, a fine of $1,000
Nonsupport of dependents, with a previous conviction for failing to provide support for a child or person you're legally obligated to support or with at least 26 weeks of missing payments out of 104 weeks
This is a felony of the fifth degree and carries the following penalties:

  • A prison term of six months to one year
    • In its place, your judge may sentence you to probation or other community control punishments
  • At most, a fine of $2,500
With a previous conviction for the above
This is a felony of the fourth degree and carries the following penalties:

  • A prison term of six to 18 months
    • In its place, your judge may sentence you to probation or other community control punishments
  • At most, a fine of $5,000
Contributing to the nonsupport of dependents
This is a misdemeanor of the first degree and carries the following penalties:

    • A jail sentence of up to 180 days
      • In its place, your judge may sentence you to probation or other community control punishments
    • At most, a fine of $1,000

Interference of custody

Tried to entice or kept a minor or mentally or physically handicapped person under the age of 21 away from their parent, guardian or custodian
This is a misdemeanor of the first degree and carries the following penalties:

      • A jail sentence of up to 180 days
        • In its place, your judge may sentence you to probation or other community control punishments
      • At most, a fine of $1,000
All of the above, but the minor was take outside state lines or you had a previous conviction for this offense
This is a felony of the fifth degree and carries the following penalties:

      • A prison term of six months to one year
        • In its place, your judge may sentence you to probation or other community control punishments
      • At most, a fine of $2,500
All of the above, but the child suffered physical harm in the process
This is a felony of the fourth degree and carries the following penalties:

      • A prison term of six to 18 months
        • In its place, your judge may sentence you to probation or other community control punishments
      • At most, a fine of $5,000
Tried to entice or kept someone who is committed by law to an institution from their parent, guardian or custodian
This is a misdemeanor of the third degree and carries the following penalties:

      • A jail sentence of up to 60 days
        • In its place, your judge may sentence you to probation or other community control punishments
      • At most, a fine of $500
Contributed in any way to a child leaving custody without consent
This is a misdemeanor of the first degree and carries the following penalties:

      • A jail sentence of up to 180 days
        • In its place, your judge may sentence you to probation or other community control punishments
      • At most, a fine of $1,000

Disseminating matter harmful to juveniles

General Penalties
This is a misdemeanor of the first degree and carries the following penalties:

      • A jail sentence of up to 180 days
        • In its place, your judge may sentence you to probation or other community control punishments
      • At most, a fine of $1,000
The material or performance was obscene
This is a felony of the fifth degree and carries the following penalties:

      • A prison term of six months to one year
        • In its place, your judge may sentence you to probation or other community control punishments
      • At most, a fine of $2,500
The material or performance was obscene and the recipient was under the age of 13
This is a felony of the fourth degree and carries the following penalties:

      • A prison term of six to 18 months
        • In its place, your judge may sentence you to probation or other community control punishments
      • At most, a fine of $5,000
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