Dallas County Sex Crimes Attorney — Sexual Assault Defense
A sex crimes charge in Dallas County is prosecuted through the felony district courts at the Frank Crowley Courts Building, where an accusation alone — often with no physical evidence — can end in decades in prison and lifetime registration. L and L Law Group defends sexual assault and sex-offense allegations across Dallas County, from pre-arrest investigation through trial, on the presumption that our client is innocent.
If you or someone in your family has been contacted by a Dallas police detective, served with a protective order, or told that a child made an “outcry,” the decisions made in the next few days can shape the rest of your life. Sex-crime allegations are unlike any other criminal matter in Dallas County. They frequently arrive before any arrest, they are built on interviews rather than forensic proof, and they carry punishment ranges and registration consequences that are far more severe than most people expect. This page explains how these cases move through the Dallas County court system, where the pressure points are, and how a defense is built — without sensationalizing the allegation or presuming that it is true. Everyone accused is entitled to a defense, and in Texas the burden never shifts off the State.
L and L Law Group is a Frisco-based firm, and Dallas County is one of the four counties — alongside Collin, Denton, and Tarrant — where we appear most often. This is the county page: it focuses on the Dallas County court system, the county jail, and the suburban cities whose cases route into the Frank Crowley Courts Building. For the deep Dallas-city overview of the full sex-offense range, see our Dallas sex crimes attorney flagship page.
How Dallas County Sex-Crime Cases Move Through the Courts
Almost every felony sex-offense case in Dallas County is heard at the Frank Crowley Courts Building, 133 N. Riverfront Blvd, Dallas, TX 75207, just west of downtown along the Trinity River levee. The building houses seventeen criminal district courts that receive felony cases from the Dallas County Grand Jury; some matters are also assigned to the George L. Allen Sr. Courts Building nearby. Misdemeanor sex offenses — for example, indecent exposure or public lewdness — are handled in Dallas County’s County Criminal Courts on the third and fourth floors of the same building. A felony sex charge, however, cannot be finally resolved until a grand jury returns an indictment, which is one of the most important early stages in the case and the point at which a skilled defense presentation can matter most.
When someone is arrested in Dallas County, they are booked into the Lew Sterrett Justice Center at 111 West Commerce Street, the central intake facility for every law-enforcement agency in the county. The Lew Sterrett complex includes the North Tower — which sits directly beside the Frank Crowley Courts Building — the West Tower, and the Suzanne Lee Kays Detention Facility. After booking, the accused is brought before a magistrate, generally within 24 to 48 hours under Article 15.17 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. At that first hearing the magistrate reads the charges, advises the person of their rights, and sets bond. In sex cases, that bond almost always comes with conditions — and those conditions are where a family’s life can be turned upside down before anyone has been convicted of anything.
The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office assigns experienced prosecutors to sex-offense and crimes-against-children cases. We do not attach numbers or claims to that office that we cannot verify; what matters for a defendant is that these cases are taken seriously, moved deliberately, and litigated by attorneys who handle this offense type regularly. Meeting that with an equally deliberate defense — one that engages the case at the investigation stage rather than waiting for an indictment — is the whole point of retaining counsel early.
The Sex Offenses Charged in Dallas County
“Sex crime” is not one charge but a family of offenses under the Texas Penal Code, each with its own elements, punishment range, and registration consequence. The most common charges we defend for clients in Dallas County include:
- Sexual assault — Tex. Penal Code §22.011, a second-degree felony (2–20 years), covering non-consensual penetration of an adult and certain conduct with a child under 17. Consent is frequently the central issue. See our statewide sexual assault charge page.
- Aggravated sexual assault — §22.021, a first-degree felony (5–99 years or life), with a 25-year mandatory minimum when the complainant is younger than 6, or younger than 14 with specified aggravating conduct. See our aggravated sexual assault charge page.
- Indecency with a child — sexual contact or exposure involving a child under 17, graded by the conduct alleged. See indecency with a child.
- Online solicitation of a minor — internet and messaging cases that frequently arise from sting operations. See online solicitation of a minor.
- Indecent exposure — a misdemeanor exposure offense that can still carry registration in repeat scenarios. See indecent exposure.
- Possession or promotion of child pornography — device-based cases with severe exposure and parallel federal risk. See possession of child pornography.
- Improper relationship between educator and student — a charge that also threatens teaching certification. See improper relationship between educator and student.
- Failure to register as a sex offender — a stand-alone felony for those already on the registry. See failure to register.
For clients who have completed their sentence and want to end the registration duty, we also handle sex offender deregistration in Texas. A broader overview of every offense in this area lives on our sex crimes practice hub.
Sexual Assault and Aggravated Sexual Assault: the Ranges
Because the phrase people search most often is “sexual assault attorney Dallas,” it is worth being precise about the exposure. A basic sexual assault under §22.011 is a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and a fine up to $10,000; certain relationships or circumstances can elevate it. Aggravated sexual assault under §22.021 is a first-degree felony punishable by 5 to 99 years or life. When the complainant is younger than 6 years old — or younger than 14 with the aggravating conduct the statute describes — the minimum sentence is raised to 25 years and probation is not available. These are among the harshest ranges in Texas law, which is exactly why the quality of the defense investigation, and the credibility work done on the accusation itself, decides so much.
Bond Conditions in Dallas County Sex Cases
In an ordinary misdemeanor, a bond is mostly about money. In a Dallas County sex case, the conditions attached to the bond often matter more than the amount. Judges routinely impose no-contact orders that bar the accused from any communication with the complaining witness — and when the accusation comes from inside a household, that can mean being ordered out of your own home and away from your own children before a single fact has been tested in court. Other common conditions include GPS ankle monitoring at the defendant’s expense, a prohibition on being near schools or parks, surrender of firearms, restrictions on internet use in online-solicitation cases, and supervision through the county’s pretrial services division. Violating any of these can land a person back in Lew Sterrett on a bond forfeiture.
This is one of the first places a defense lawyer earns their keep in Dallas County. We appear at the earliest opportunity to argue for a bond and a condition set the accused can actually live under — asking the court to narrow overbroad no-contact language, to permit supervised contact with children through a neutral third party where appropriate, and to remove conditions that are punitive rather than protective. The goal is to keep our client employed, housed, and connected to family while the case is fought, because a defendant who has lost everything before trial is a defendant under enormous pressure to plead.
Why These Cases Are Different: Allegations Without Evidence
The single most important thing to understand about Dallas County sex prosecutions is that most of them are not built on DNA, injuries, or eyewitnesses. They are built on words — a complainant’s account, a child’s forensic interview, a recorded phone call, or a series of text messages. That does not make them weak; juries can and do convict on testimony alone. But it does mean the defense lives or dies on scrutinizing how that account was created.
In cases involving children, Dallas County law enforcement and Child Protective Services frequently route the child to the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center (5351 Samuell Blvd) for a forensic interview conducted by a trained interviewer. These interviews are designed to be neutral and non-leading, and a competent defense does not attack the child. Instead, it examines the process: how the outcry first arose, who was in the room before and after, whether the questions suggested answers, whether there was a custody dispute or other motive in the background, and whether the account changed over time. In adult sexual-assault cases, the analysis turns on consent, the reliability of a delayed report, the results (or absence) of a SANE examination, and the contents of the parties’ own messages. One-sided allegations — where the “evidence” is a single narrative — are precisely the cases where careful, non-lurid defense work changes outcomes.
Two related dynamics shape the strategy. First, pre-arrest and pre-charge representation matters enormously. If a detective is still investigating, an experienced lawyer can manage the interview request, prevent an unrepresented client from talking their way into a charge, and sometimes present exculpatory information before the case is ever filed. Second, the registration and collateral consequences are lifelong. A conviction — and in some instances a plea to a lesser offense — can carry a duty to register under Chapter 62 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, cost a professional license, end a teaching or medical career, and follow a person on every background check. We weigh every disposition against those consequences, not just the sentence.
Suburban Cities That Route Into Dallas County
Dallas County is far larger than the city of Dallas. Arrests made by suburban police departments across the county are booked into Lew Sterrett and prosecuted at the Frank Crowley Courts Building the same way a Dallas PD case is. We defend sex-crime allegations for clients throughout the county, including the cities below — each of which has its own city page in this section:
- Garland
- Irving
- Mesquite
- Grand Prairie (also parts of Tarrant and Ellis)
- Carrollton (also Denton and Collin)
- Richardson (also Collin)
- Cedar Hill
- Coppell
- DeSoto
- Duncanville
- Rowlett (also Rockwall)
- Sachse (also Collin)
If your case originates in one of these cities, the local police department conducts the investigation and makes the arrest, but the prosecution itself is a Dallas County matter handled downtown. For clients whose case may cross county lines — several of these cities straddle Dallas, Collin, Denton, Tarrant, or Rockwall — we confirm which county has jurisdiction before anything else, because it determines which grand jury, which court, and which prosecutors will handle the file.
How We Build a Sex-Crime Defense
Every sex case L and L Law Group takes in Dallas County follows a deliberate protocol. The early weeks — before indictment, while evidence still exists and memories are fresh — are the most valuable.
- Immediate InterventionIf there is no arrest yet, we contact the investigating detective, assert our client’s rights, and control any interview request. Where a charge has been filed, we appear on bond conditions right away to protect housing, employment, and family contact.
- Evidence and Digital PreservationWe move to preserve text messages, social-media records, call logs, and location data before they are lost, and in device cases we retain a forensic examiner to independently review what law enforcement seized. In adult cases we obtain any SANE-exam and medical records.
- Scrutinizing the AccusationWe reconstruct how the allegation arose — the timeline of the outcry, any custody or relationship disputes, the forensic-interview process, prior inconsistent statements, and third-party witnesses who were present.
- Grand Jury StrategyBecause a felony sex case must be indicted, we evaluate whether to present exculpatory material to the grand jury and whether a no-bill is realistically in reach before the case is ever set for trial.
- Motions and Trial ReadinessWe file motions to suppress unlawfully obtained statements or searches, challenge unreliable identifications and outcry testimony, and prepare every case as if it will be tried — because a State that knows the defense is ready to try the case negotiates differently.
Free, Confidential Consultation
Tell us what happened. We respond seven days a week. There is no obligation, and your message is protected by attorney-client privilege under Tex. Disciplinary R. Prof. Conduct 1.05.
Local Court, Jail & Bond Resources
Families across Dallas County — whether the arrest was in the city of Dallas or a suburb like Garland, Irving, Mesquite, or Cedar Hill — almost always need the same practical answers first: which building the case is in, where the arrestee is being held, and how to get them out. Everything in Dallas County funnels downtown, and the resources below can help you take the next step.
The courthouse
Felony sex-offense cases county-wide are indicted by the Dallas County Grand Jury and tried at the Frank Crowley Courts Building, 133 N. Riverfront Blvd, Dallas, TX 75207, before the criminal district courts there (some matters are also assigned at the George L. Allen Sr. Courts Building). Misdemeanors such as indecent exposure are handled in the County Criminal Courts in the same complex. A suburban police department may investigate and arrest, but the prosecution is handled downtown.
The jail and getting released
Anyone arrested by a Dallas County agency is booked into the Lew Sterrett Justice Center, 111 W. Commerce Street, Dallas — the complex includes the North Tower beside Frank Crowley, the West Tower, and the Suzanne Lee Kays Detention Facility. A magistrate then reads the charges, generally within 24 to 48 hours, and sets bond and conditions; release can be posted by cash or surety bond, a bail bondsman, or an attorney bond in the right case.
How bail is set
Dallas County magistrates set bail under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.15, weighing the seriousness of the accusation, the accused person’s ties to the community, ability to make bail, and any risk to the alleged victim — the reason no-contact and monitoring conditions are so common in sex cases. The links below explain the mechanics and connect you to the county lookups you may need first.
- Dallas County jail, inmate search & court directory — our county resource hub with booking lookups and phone numbers.
- Dallas municipal court & city jail guide — for city-level holds and municipal matters in the city of Dallas.
- How bail works in Texas — a plain-language walkthrough of magistration, bond types, and conditions.
- Active warrant help — LiftMyWarrant — if there is an outstanding warrant to resolve before an arrest happens.
- Dallas County bond reduction and outstanding warrant defense — our flagship pages when a bond is too high or a warrant is out.
- Our charge-page explainers on bail and bond requirements and bond conditions.
Dallas County Sex Crimes FAQ
Where are sex crime cases prosecuted in Dallas County?
Felony sex-offense cases are heard in the criminal district courts at the Frank Crowley Courts Building, 133 N. Riverfront Blvd, Dallas, TX 75207. Seventeen district courts receive felony indictments from the Dallas County Grand Jury; some cases are also assigned to the George L. Allen Sr. Courts Building. Misdemeanor sex offenses such as indecent exposure are handled in the County Criminal Courts on the third and fourth floors of the same building.
Where is someone booked after a sex-crime arrest in Dallas County?
Everyone arrested by a Dallas County law-enforcement agency is booked into the Lew Sterrett Justice Center at 111 West Commerce Street. The complex includes the North Tower — located beside the Frank Crowley Courts Building — the West Tower, and the Suzanne Lee Kays Detention Facility. After booking, the accused is brought before a magistrate, generally within 24 to 48 hours, who reads the charges and sets bond and conditions.
What is the punishment range for sexual assault in Texas?
Sexual assault under Tex. Penal Code §22.011 is a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. Aggravated sexual assault under §22.021 is a first-degree felony punishable by 5 to 99 years or life, with a 25-year mandatory minimum when the alleged victim is younger than 6, or younger than 14 with certain aggravating conduct. Registration under Chapter 62 typically follows a conviction.
Can I be charged with sexual assault in Dallas County with no physical evidence?
Yes. Most Dallas County sex cases are built on testimony rather than DNA or injuries — a complainant’s account, a child’s forensic interview, or messages between the parties. Texas law allows a conviction on such evidence, which is why the defense concentrates on how the accusation arose: the timeline, any motive, the interview process, prior inconsistent statements, and third-party witnesses. The State always carries the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
What bond conditions are common in Dallas County sex cases?
Beyond the bond amount, judges typically impose no-contact orders with the complaining witness, GPS monitoring at the defendant’s expense, distance restrictions from schools and parks, firearm surrender, and internet restrictions in online-solicitation cases, all supervised by pretrial services. When the accusation is from inside a household, this can mean being ordered out of the home. We appear early to narrow overbroad conditions so a client can keep working and stay housed while the case is fought.
My child was interviewed at the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center — what does that mean?
In child cases, Dallas County investigators and CPS often route the child to the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center for a forensic interview by a trained, neutral interviewer. A responsible defense does not attack the child; it examines the process — how the outcry first arose, who was present before and after, whether questions were suggestive, and whether a custody or relationship dispute sits in the background. That record is central evidence, and reviewing it carefully is one of the first things we do.
Should I talk to the detective before I am arrested?
Not without a lawyer. Sex-crime cases in Dallas County frequently begin before any arrest, and a police “interview” is an investigative tool. Anything you say can be used to build the charge. The right move is to retain counsel who can communicate with the detective on your behalf, control the interview request, and, where appropriate, present exculpatory information before a charge is ever filed. Pre-arrest representation can change whether a case is filed at all.
Will a sex-crime conviction put me on the Texas registry?
Many sex offenses carry a registration duty under Chapter 62 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, and the duty can last ten years or life depending on the offense. Registration affects where you can live and work and appears on background checks. In some situations a plea can be structured to reduce or avoid that consequence, and after a sentence is complete, early termination may be possible. See our page on sex offender deregistration in Texas for how that relief works.
What if my case is in a suburb like Garland, Irving, or Mesquite?
Those cities are inside Dallas County, so even though the local police department investigates and arrests, the prosecution is handled downtown at the Frank Crowley Courts Building and the case is booked through Lew Sterrett. Some cities in this county — Grand Prairie, Carrollton, Richardson, Rowlett, and Sachse among them — straddle county lines, so the first thing we confirm is which county has jurisdiction, because that determines the grand jury, court, and prosecutors.
Why choose L and L Law Group for a Dallas County sex case?
Co-Founding Partners Reggie London (Bar 24043514) and Njeri London (Bar 24043266) defend sex-offense allegations as a team, on the presumption that our client is innocent. We engage cases early — often before an arrest — scrutinize how the accusation was created, retain forensic examiners in device cases, and prepare every file for trial in the Dallas County courts. Consultations are free, confidential, and available seven days a week at (972) 370-5060.
Other L&L Resources
This page is attorney advertising and educational legal information. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Statutory references are current as of the date of publication; consult the Texas Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure at statutes.capitol.texas.gov for the latest text. Every person accused of a crime is presumed innocent. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.