Is A Single Internet Click Probable Cause For A Criminal Search?

In Sex Crimes by RSFJ

On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Sex Crimes on Thursday, February 7, 2019. Following are the key facts in a criminal matter currently on appeal in a federal court. The prosecution argues that the case details are neither controversial nor problematic and that a defendant’s conviction on child pornography charges was justified and legally tight. Conversely, attorneys from an Internet privacy group see fundamental flaws in the case and cite concern that it could lead to damaging outcomes for innocent computer users in the general public. The bottom line: An individual clicked on a single URL link provided by a child …

Is This Court Ruling Really A Landmark Self-Incrimination Decision?

In Sex Crimes by RSFJ

On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Sex Crimes on Thursday, January 24, 2019. Here’s a hypothetical we pose for readers that we suspect many of them will challenge on the grounds of skewed logic. The cops have probable cause to search a home pursuant to a criminal investigation. They demand that targeted criminal suspects open their smartphones for government scrutiny by unlocking them with personal passcodes. A court rules that impermissible because a passcode or other such information that must be “willingly and verbally supplied” is testimonial in nature. A criminal suspect needn’t divulge it, given the seminal protection against self-incrimination …

What Is Missouri’s Revenge Porn Law, And Does It Have Clout?

In Sex Crimes by RSFJ

On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Sex Crimes on Tuesday, January 15, 2019. We spotlight a fundamental point regarding sex crime outcomes in Missouri on our Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry website. We stress at our established St. Louis criminal defense law offices that, “The stigma and criminal penalties associated with a sex crime conviction are significant.” Moreover, they attach to wide-ranging behavior. Many people might reasonably link sex crimes with violent acts like rape or sexual assault, but the possibilities go far beyond that. They additionally encompass child pornography (possession or distribution), prostitution-tied charges, child molestation and unlawful Internet conduct. That …

Just How Widespread, Concerning Is Teen Sexting?

In Sex Crimes by RSFJ

On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Sex Crimes on Tuesday, December 4, 2018. We know that our teenage sons and daughters are works in progress. We love them without bounds, of course, yet know that they have some work to do en route to negotiating those not-quite-adult-yet years. They sometimes act rashly, without due regard for consequences. That is, they explore and, in doing so, sometimes make mistakes. We did, too, right? That’s part of what living through and transcending those teen years is all about. We state on our website at Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry that, “A big part of …

MO Sex Offender Registration: It’s Not Just About Abstract Stats

In Sex Crimes by RSFJ

On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Sex Crimes on Tuesday, October 16, 2018. Sex offender-linked numbers and statistics in Missouri can seem a bit muddied and impersonal, with human stories sometimes being muted (victims’ tales, of course, but sometimes those of convicted offenders as well) in lieu of an emphasis on reams of numerical data. Missouri has always been a state where criminal law powers have come down hard on offenders, even in some instances where crimes were not even remotely linked with sexual conduct. We alluded to that in a recent Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry blog post. Our August 27 entry noted …

New Sex Offender Registry Offers Hope, Not Just Harsh Outcomes

In Sex Crimes by RSFJ

On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Sex Crimes on Monday, August 27, 2018. Current Missouri law potentially provides for the outcome that both a rapist and a person charged with public urination while intoxicated be placed on the state’s Sex Offender Registry for life. The registry does not distinguish between such persons regarding the law’s onerous reporting requirements. Both of them have the same duty to visit a police station four times annually. That will change tomorrow. Senate Bill 655 takes legal effect in just a few short hours, and will usher in major changes to Missouri’s registry law. The enactment …

Huge Changes Imminent Concerning Missouri’s Sex Offender Registry

In Sex Crimes by RSFJ

On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Sex Crimes on Thursday, August 23, 2018. Being on Missouri’s Sex Offender Registry is no proverbial walk in the park. In fact, it is a lifelong burden that challenges registrants in an almost unimaginable way. We note on our criminal defense website at the St. Louis law firm of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry that Missouri’s registry law is among the toughest in the country. If you’re required to register, doing so “will have a significant and negative impact on your life as well as the lives of your loved ones.” Indeed, inclusion on the registry can …

Sexting Consequences Often Underestimated By Teens

In Sex Crimes by RSFJ

On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Sex Crimes on Monday, June 11, 2018. Say that a local teenager impulsively uploaded a graphic sexual image of himself or herself (or a peer) on a smartphone or social media site. That’s not smart, right? We all know that as adults, and understand further that adverse implications will likely flow from such an act. How severe should they be, though? Should so-called “sexting” merit a stint in jail? Expulsion from school? Mandatory inclusion on a sex-offender registry, with its stigmatizing effects and foreclosing of future opportunities? Most adults tend to generally extend a bit …

Bill Cosby Found Guilty Of Aggravated Indecent Assault

In Sex Crimes by RSFJ

On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Sex Crimes on Friday, April 27, 2018. Comedian Bill Cosby has been found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault stemming from an incident where he was accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a former Temple University employee. The jury comprised of five men and seven women voted unanimously to convict.  The 80-year-old comedian was best known as “America’s Dad” for his role as Heathcliff Huxtable on the popular 1980’s sitcom, “The Cosby Show.” Before that, he developed a following through movie roles and standup comedy. In the early 2000’s he became a moral …

Suburban St. Louis Youth Pastor Faces Sex Crimes Charges

In Sex Crimes by RSFJ

On behalf of Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry posted in Sex Crimes on Wednesday, April 18, 2018. St. Louis suburb Clayton was recently rocked by news of the arrest of a former youth pastor. The 30-year-old pastor at the town’s Central Presbyterian Church was arrested and charged with child molestation and statutory sodomy. The University City resident was charged in St. Louis County Circuit Court with a single count of molestation and a pair of counts of statutory sodomy. According to court documents cited by the Post-Dispatch, the sex crimes allegedly occurred between March 1 and April 1 of this year. The newspaper also reports that the …