Wilton Sextortion Lawyer

A “sextortion” conviction can result in life-altering criminal sanctions even if you have no prior criminal record. Whether your charges involve sending someone else’s “nudes” to other people without the depicted person’s consent or threatening to do something of that nature in order to get money or property, you will want a skilled Wilton sextortion lawyer by your side throughout your criminal proceedings if you want to get the best possible case result.

“Revenge Porn” Versus “Sextortion” Under State Law

Police, court authorities, and legal professionals use the term “sextortion” to refer to either (1) an extortion scheme involving private and sexually explicit material or (2) to the act of disseminating such material without the depicted person’s consent. The first type of offense is a fairly straightforward example of criminal extortion, which Connecticut General Statutes (C.G.S.) § 53a-119(5) defines as compelling someone else to provide money or property by threatening them with harm, and which C.G.S. § 53a-122 instructs is a Class B felony regardless of the value of money or property involved.

The second type of offense, sometimes referred to as “revenge porn,” is formally defined under C.G.S. § 53a-189c as “Unlawful Dissemination of an Intimate Image.” In a nutshell, someone violates this section of the Penal Code if they distribute an image showing a clearly identifiable person engaged in sexual conduct or display with all the following criteria also being met:

• The depicted person had a reasonable expectation that their image would remain private, meaning they were not engaged in sexual behavior in public and/or in a commercial setting;
• The depicted person did not consent to the dissemination;
• The depicted person suffered harm of some kind—including but not limited to psychological, financial, or physical harm—because of the dissemination; and/ or
• The dissemination did not “serve the public interest.”

As a Wilton sextortion attorney can explain, this offense is a Class A misdemeanor if the image is sent to just one other person, but it becomes a Class D felony if the image(s) are disseminated to multiple people through any telecommunications, information, or computer service.

Fighting Back Against Sextortion Allegations

The best defense strategy against a “sextortion” allegation may change dramatically depending on the circumstances. Contesting a “revenge porn” accusation may be as simple as proving that just one element of the offense as defined under C.G.S. § 53a-189c is not present. For example, this may mean the person depicted in the image(s) was not “clearly identifiable” as a specific individual, or they did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

Accusations of extortion involving sexual material can be much more complicated and have much higher stakes, especially if there are multiple people involved in the alleged scheme. Either way, guidance from a dependable sextortion defense lawyer in Wilton will almost certainly be vital to securing the best possible case outcome for your circumstances.

Let a Wilton Sextortion Attorney Help

Sextortion is a relatively new concept in Connecticut criminal law, but the Penal Code as it is currently written takes it very seriously and provides for harsh punishments. Without guidance from a legal professional who has handled similar cases successfully in the past, you may have very slim odds of avoiding felony-level consequences from an accusation of this nature. Call today to schedule your confidential consultation and discuss your case with a Wilton sextortion lawyer from the Law Offices of Mark Sherman, and click here to view our Avvo profile with over 300 certified reviews from previous clients to see what they have to say about working with our team.