The manager of the Briarwood Presbyterian Church radio station was arrested in Seagrove Beach recently after allegedly asking a teenaged girl and a 23-year-old woman, sans pants, where to find a nude beach, The Birmingham News reports.
The story goes on to say the man made a detailed statement to deputies, which may seal his fate in court. Birmingham Criminal Defense Lawyers would advise any future clients who are being investigated for a crime not to speak with law enforcement. Whether you are charged with a sex crime in Alabama or another type of charge, making a statement is rarely beneficial.
According to the news report, the man was driving when he pulled up in his van to a 15-year-old girl and a 23-year-old woman and asked them if they knew where there was a nude beach. The victims, according to an arrest report, saw his genitals. He also asked them to get into his van, but they didn’t.
Within two hours, deputies found him at a nearby apartment. They asked him if he knew why they were there and the defendant made a detailed statement.
“He stated he was driving around and decided to go to a nude beach,” according to the sheriff’s report. “He stated he loved being naked and had been to a nude beach before and loved it. The defendant stated while he was in his vehicle he took his clothes off because he loved being naked. He stated he pulled up to a couple of girls and asked them where the nude beach was because he didn’t know where it was.”
Depending on the credibility of the officers — because the statement likely wasn’t tape recorded — this could be an uphill battle for the radio station manager. And he is charged with lewd and lascivious behavior, which is punishable by up to 15 years in Florida.
Regardless of the state, anyone charged with a sex crime likely faces serious penalties, which almost always include prison time. In Alabama, a sex crimes conviction can lead to the following penalties:
- Years or decades in prison
- Steep fines
- Lifelong registration as a sex offender
- Restrictions on where you can live, work or recreate
- Loss of professional licenses
- Revocation of the right to vote and bear arms
- Ongoing electronic monitoring
Unlike other felony charges where a person can be convicted, serve their time and go on with their lives, a conviction for a sex-related crime lives on with the defendant. Having to register as a sex offender in state and national databases remove any sense of privacy a person may have. Neighbors will know when you move into town and you must tell law enforcement where you go and when. It’s the modern scarlet letter.
And the sex offender database doesn’t do a good job of distinguishing between violent child molesters and 18-year-olds who had sex with 16-year-olds or a drunk person who urinates in public unknowingly in front of a child.
So, if you or a loved one faces an embarrassing sex-related crime, call Birmingham criminal defense lawyers immediately. Our firm will do everything within the law to fight the charge and protect your rights.
If you need to speak with a Birmingham sex crimes defense attorney, contact attorney Steven D. Eversole at 205-981-2450 for a free consultation.
Previous Blog Entries:
A Birmingham Sex Crime Conviction Means You May Be in the Newspaper Every Time You Move: June 20, 2011
Additional Resources:
Briarwood Presybterian Church radio station manager faces lewd conduct charges in Florida, by Carol Robinson, The Birmingham News
