Sex crime accusations carry the most severe collateral consequences in Texas criminal law — lifetime registration, residency restrictions, occupational bars, and prison ranges that frequently start at the second-degree felony level. The cases turn on early defense work: forensic interview review, outcry timing analysis, electronic-evidence preservation, and motions to suppress in cases involving custodial statements or warrantless device searches. Every case is co-handled by Reggie London (former Dallas County prosecutor) and Njeri London (Fourth Amendment motion practice).
L and L Law Group, PLLC defends adults and juveniles facing sex offense allegations across the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex. We take cases at the pre-arrest investigation stage (target letters, grand jury, pre-charge negotiation) and through indictment, trial, and appeal.
Aggravated Sexual Assault Defense
Read more →Child Pornography Defense
Read more →Indecency With Child Defense
Read more →Online Solicitation Defense
Read more →Sexual Assault Defense
Read more →Texas and federal AI-generated CSAM defense
AI-generated child sexual abuse material — Texas PC § 43.26(a-1) (HB 2700 expansion) and federal 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252A, 1466A.
Read more →Texas deepfake intimate imagery defense
Texas deepfake intimate imagery under PC § 21.165 — state jail felony (180 days-2 years
Read more →Texas indecent assault defense
Texas indecent assault under PC § 22.012 — Class A misdemeanor (up to 1 year jail + $4,000 fine) but registerable sex offense under art.
Read more →Texas indecent exposure defense
Texas indecent exposure under PC § 21.08 — a Class B misdemeanor (up to 180 days county jail + Texas indecent exposure under PC § 21.08 — a.
Read more →Texas online solicitation of a minor defense
Texas online solicitation of a minor under PC § 33.021 — bifurcated 3rd/2nd/1st-degree felony with lifetime sex-offender registration.
Read more →Texas prostitution defense
Texas prostitution defense — § 43.02 selling, § 43.021 solicitation (state-jail felony after 2021 HB 1540), promotion, compelling. Frisco.
Read more →Texas public lewdness defense
Texas public lewdness under PC § 21.07 — a Class A misdemeanor (up to 1 year county jail + $4,000 fine). Frisco TX defense team.
Read more →Texas Romeo & Juliet affirmative defense
Texas Romeo & Juliet affirmative defense under PC §§ 22.011(e), 21.11(b), 22.021(a)(7).
Read more →Frequently Asked Questions
Will I have to register as a sex offender for a misdemeanor?+
Sometimes. CCP Article 62.001(5) reaches certain misdemeanors: Penal Code § 21.07 public lewdness with a child, § 21.08 indecent exposure with a prior conviction, and certain misdemeanor prostitution-related offenses. Most Class A and Class B misdemeanors not enumerated in Article 62.001 do not require registration.
Can a sex-assault case proceed without DNA or physical evidence?+
Yes — and most do. Texas appellate courts have repeatedly upheld convictions based on complainant testimony alone under Tex. Penal Code § 22.011(b) read with CCP Article 38.07, which makes the testimony of a victim sufficient unless the State must corroborate it (specific situations involving outcry timing). Defense work in these cases focuses on cross-examination, prior inconsistent statements, and motive.
What is the "outcry witness" rule under Article 38.072?+
CCP Article 38.072 permits the first adult to whom a child complainant disclosed certain sex offenses to testify about that disclosure — an exception to the hearsay rule. The designation matters: counsel can challenge which person qualifies as the outcry witness, whether timely notice was given, and whether the statements qualify under the rule. Suppression of the outcry witness often substantially weakens the State's case.
How does Title IX investigation interact with criminal exposure?+
Title IX and criminal proceedings can run in parallel. A Title IX administrative finding can produce university discipline (suspension, expulsion) and can generate evidence used in subsequent criminal cases. Statements in Title IX proceedings can be used in the criminal case unless Fifth Amendment privilege is properly invoked. Coordinated defense is essential.
Can I plead to a non-registration offense to avoid the registry?+
Sometimes — strategic plea negotiations often focus on the registration consequence. Pleading to an offense not listed in CCP Article 62.001, or to a deferred adjudication where the offense's registration trigger turns on conviction, can avoid registration. Each offense has its own analysis, and the State's charging discretion is the key variable.
Speak Directly With a Texas Criminal Defense Attorney
Reggie London and Njeri London handle calls personally. No screeners, no paralegals reading from a script — direct-to-attorney consultation, free of charge.
What is texas sex crimes defense under Texas law?
Elements the State must prove
Every sex crime defense charge is built on statutory elements. The State carries the burden on each element beyond a reasonable doubt under Penal Code § 2.01. Defense work begins by identifying which element the State will struggle to prove on this case’s record.
- For sexual assault under § 22.011: intentional or knowing penetration without consent — second-degree felony.
- For aggravated sexual assault under § 22.021: § 22.011 conduct plus aggravating factors (deadly weapon, threat, victim under 14, victim under 17 with bodily injury) — first-degree felony with 25-year minimum where complainant is under 14.
- For indecency with a child under § 21.11: sexual contact with a child under 17 (second-degree) or exposure to a child under 17 (third-degree).
- For continuous sexual abuse under § 21.02: two or more acts of sexual abuse over 30+ days against a child under 14 — first-degree felony with 25-year minimum.
- For online solicitation under § 33.021: communication or solicitation with intent that meeting occur with a minor.
Penalty range matrix
The exposure on a sex crime defense case depends on the specific subsection, the alleged conduct, and any enhancement allegations. The table below captures the principal charge tiers we see.
| Offense | Statute | Level | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indecent exposure | § 21.08 | Class B misdemeanor | up to 180 days county jail + $2,000 |
| Public lewdness | § 21.07 | Class A misdemeanor | up to 1 year + $4,000 |
| Sexual assault | § 22.011 | 2nd-degree felony | 2–20 years TDCJ + $10,000 |
| Indecency with child (contact) | § 21.11(a)(1) | 2nd-degree felony | 2–20 years TDCJ + $10,000 |
| Aggravated sexual assault | § 22.021 | 1st-degree felony | 5–99 years or life + $10,000 |
| Aggravated sexual assault (child under 14) | § 22.021(f) | 1st-degree felony | 25–99 years or life + $10,000 |
| Continuous sexual abuse | § 21.02 | 1st-degree felony | 25–99 years or life; no parole 25 years |
| Online solicitation | § 33.021 | 3rd or 2nd-degree felony | up to 20 years |
| Possession of child pornography | § 43.26 | 3rd-degree felony | 2–10 years TDCJ + $10,000 |
How the cases come up — hypothetical scenarios
These scenarios illustrate how sex crime defense charges arise in DFW criminal practice. They are illustrative only and do not describe any specific client or outcome.
- A defendant accused after a college Title IX investigation. Statements made in the administrative proceeding can be used in criminal court unless Fifth Amendment privilege is properly invoked.
- A defendant charged after a child outcry to a teacher. The State proceeds under CCP Article 38.072 outcry-witness procedure; counsel litigates which witness qualifies and whether timely notice was given.
- A defendant charged with online solicitation after an undercover sting operation. § 33.021 requires intent that the meeting occur; defense work focuses on the conversational record.
- A defendant charged with sexual assault where the complainant later recants. The State may proceed using prior consistent statements, SANE-exam evidence, and outcry testimony despite recantation.
- A defendant charged with continuous sexual abuse under § 21.02. The 25-year minimum and no-parole-for-25-years rule make this the most severe non-capital sexual offense in Texas.
- A defendant whose phone shows files consistent with § 43.26. Forensic challenges focus on automated downloads, knowledge of presence, and chain of custody.
- A defendant alleged to have committed a Romeo-and-Juliet-eligible offense — close-in-age relationship under § 22.011(e) or § 21.11(b). Counsel develops the affirmative-defense record.
Common defenses
Sex Crime Defense defense draws on constitutional, statutory, and evidence-based theories. The mix of available defenses depends on the specific charge, the State’s evidence, and the procedural posture.
What to do if you’re charged — five steps
The first 72 hours after an arrest or charging decision shape the case. The five steps below are the framework our partners apply on every new sex crime defense retainer.
Police, CPS, school administrators, Title IX investigators, civil deposition — all carry criminal exposure. Invoke counsel.
Phone records, messages, social media, employment records. Defense investigator preserves before metadata changes.
Title IX, professional licensing, school discipline, civil proceedings — parallel representation prevents Fifth Amendment waiver and conflicting records.
Counsel reviews SANE records, lab reports, DNA-mixture analysis, and forensic-interview recordings. Expert consultation under Texas Rule of Evidence 702.
Plea negotiations focus on the registration consequence under CCP Chapter 62. Pleading to a non-registration offense or to a deferred adjudication where registration turns on conviction is the central goal where the case warrants resolution.
Collateral consequences
A conviction or even a deferred-adjudication finding can carry consequences beyond the sentence itself. The list below identifies the most common collateral exposures for sex crime defense matters.
- CCP Chapter 62 registration — 10-year or lifetime track depending on offense
- Public website disclosure of address, photograph, employer, vehicle
- Federal SORNA registration
- Civil-commitment exposure under Health & Safety Code Chapter 841
- Residence restrictions in many jurisdictions
- Employment restrictions in schools, healthcare, transportation
- Loss of parental rights in extreme cases
- Immigration consequences — most sex offenses categorically aggravated felonies
Related practice areas, calculators, and resources
Talk to an attorney — not a screener.
Tell us about your case. Most clients hear back within an hour. Often within minutes.