Sex Crimes Attorney in Tarrant County, Texas
A one-sided accusation is not a conviction. L and L Law Group defends sexual-assault and sex-crime allegations across Tarrant County — from the investigation stage through trial at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center in Fort Worth — with discretion and a presumption of innocence.
A sex crime or sexual assault attorney in Tarrant County defends allegations ranging from indecent exposure to aggravated sexual assault under Chapters 21, 22, 33, and 43 of the Texas Penal Code. Felony sex cases are indicted and tried at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center, 401 W. Belknap Street in Fort Worth, and prosecuted by the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Special Victims section. L and L Law Group defends these cases countywide, often starting before an arrest is ever made.
Sex Crime Charges We Defend in Tarrant County
“Sex crime” is a broad label that covers a wide range of Texas offenses, each with its own elements, punishment range, and registration consequences. Some are misdemeanors; most are felonies; a few carry some of the longest sentences in Texas law. Whether the accusation is framed as a sexual assault, an internet-based offense, or a child allegation, the defense begins the same way — by pulling the case apart element by element. We defend the full range of sex-offense allegations in Tarrant County, including:
- Sexual assault — Tex. Penal Code §22.011, a second-degree felony (2–20 years) covering non-consensual penetration or contact, and sexual assault of a child regardless of claimed consent.
- Aggravated sexual assault — §22.021, a first-degree felony (5–99 years or life), with a 25-year minimum for the youngest child complainants.
- Indecency with a child — sexual contact or exposure involving a complainant younger than 17, one of the most commonly charged child sex offenses in the county.
- Online solicitation of a minor — internet and app-based cases, including sting operations where the “minor” is an officer.
- Indecent exposure — a misdemeanor that can still trigger registration on a second offense and carries heavy social stigma.
- Possession of child pornography — device- and forensics-driven cases with severe exposure and mandatory registration.
- Improper relationship between educator and student — a career-ending allegation that also draws SBEC certification action.
- Failure to register as a sex offender — a separate felony that can arise from a paperwork lapse, not a new sex offense.
For clients who have already completed a sentence and want to move on, we also handle sex-offender deregistration and early termination of registration where the offense and the individualized risk assessment allow it. A full overview of the firm's approach lives on our sex crimes defense hub.
Why Tarrant County Sex Crime Cases Are Different
Tarrant County is the second-largest county in the Dallas–Fort Worth region, and it prosecutes sex offenses through a dedicated, well-resourced apparatus rather than a general felony docket. That structure shapes everything about how a sexual-assault case unfolds here. The Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office runs a Special Victims section devoted to the physical and sexual abuse of children, the production and distribution of child pornography, and crimes against the elderly and persons with disabilities. Those prosecutors are not learning these cases on the fly; they try them for a living, and they work inside a multidisciplinary team alongside local police, Cook Children's Medical Center, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, and the Alliance for Children advocacy center.
For the accused, that has two consequences. First, the State's case is usually built carefully and early, often before the person even knows an arrest is coming. Second, the pressure points are predictable to a defense lawyer who understands the workflow — the forensic-interview methodology, the outcry timeline, the medical findings, and the digital forensics. A sexual assault lawyer in Tarrant County earns their keep by finding the seams in a case that looks airtight on the offense report. Several features make these cases especially dangerous, and especially defensible:
- The accusation often is the evidence. Under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 38.07, the uncorroborated testimony of a complainant can support a conviction. Many cases have no DNA, no injury, and no eyewitness — which makes credibility the entire battlefield.
- Bond conditions bite immediately. A magistrate can impose no-contact orders, GPS monitoring, no-internet restrictions, and no-unsupervised-contact-with-minors terms that can push a parent out of their own home before any trial.
- Registration drives the stakes. The offense of conviction, not just the sentence, decides whether someone registers for ten years or for life — which is why the charge you plead to matters as much as the number of years.
- Collateral damage is enormous. Jobs, professional licenses, immigration status, family-court custody, and reputation are all on the line the moment an allegation surfaces.
How a Sex Crime Case Moves Through Tarrant County
Understanding the road ahead lowers the fear that comes with these accusations. A Tarrant County sex-offense case generally moves through six phases, and the earliest decisions — especially whether you talk to a detective before hiring counsel — usually shape the outcome more than anything that happens later.
Investigation & Outcry
A report or a child's outcry starts a police investigation. In child cases a forensic interview is recorded at the Alliance for Children, and a sexual-assault (SANE) exam may be done at Cook Children's Medical Center or JPS Health Network. Detectives frequently seek a “voluntary” statement or a pretext phone call before any arrest.
Arrest & Booking
On probable cause, the person is arrested and taken to the Tarrant County Corrections Center at 100 N. Lamar Street, the county's central intake facility, for booking. Magistration follows within 48 hours under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 15.17, where bond and conditions are set.
Bond & Pretrial Conditions
We move quickly for a bond-reduction hearing and to narrow the harshest conditions — the no-contact and no-unsupervised-contact-with-minors terms that can separate a parent from their children before any finding of guilt.
Grand Jury & Indictment
Felony sex cases must be presented to a Tarrant County grand jury. We may submit a grand-jury packet or argue for a no-bill. If the case is indicted, it is assigned to a felony criminal district court at the Tim Curry Justice Center.
Discovery & Expert Review
Under the Michael Morton Act (art. 39.14) we obtain the offense report, the forensic-interview video, SANE records, and digital forensics, then have qualified experts examine the interview methodology, medical findings, and any DNA or device evidence.
Resolution or Trial
The case ends in a dismissal or no-file, a plea to a reduced or non-registerable offense where the facts allow, or a jury trial. Because prison and registration exposure are so severe, sex cases go to trial more often than most, and we preserve every appellate issue on the record.
Sexual Assault & Aggravated Sexual Assault: The Core Statutes
The two offenses at the center of most Tarrant County sexual-assault prosecutions are Sections 22.011 and 22.021 of the Texas Penal Code. The difference between them is not academic — it is the difference between a second-degree and a first-degree felony, and in child cases it can mean a 25-year floor with no parole.
Sexual assault under §22.011 is a second-degree felony. It covers non-consensual penetration or contact with an adult, and it also covers sexual activity with a child (a person younger than 17), where the statute makes clear that a child cannot legally consent. A second-degree felony carries 2 to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.
Aggravated sexual assault under §22.021 is a first-degree felony, elevated by aggravating facts such as serious bodily injury, use of a deadly weapon, or a very young complainant. The range is 5 to 99 years or life. When the complainant is younger than six — or younger than 14 under certain circumstances described in the statute — subsection (f) raises the minimum term to 25 years, and a person serving that mandatory minimum is not parole-eligible during it. Both offenses generally carry lifetime sex-offender registration on conviction.
Classification & Punishment at a Glance
| Offense | Statute | Grade | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indecent exposure | §21.08 | Class B misdemeanor | Up to 180 days jail |
| Indecency with a child (contact) | §21.11(a)(1) | 2nd-degree felony | 2–20 years |
| Online solicitation of a minor | §33.021 | 3rd / 2nd-degree felony | 2–20 years |
| Sexual assault | §22.011 | 2nd-degree felony | 2–20 years |
| Aggravated sexual assault | §22.021 | 1st-degree felony | 5–99 or life |
| Agg. sexual assault, child under 6 | §22.021(f) | 1st-degree felony | 25 years to life |
Ranges reflect the base punishment tiers under Tex. Penal Code Ch. 12 and the cited sections. Prior convictions and other enhancements can raise them. Always confirm the current statute text at statutes.capitol.texas.gov.
The Forensic Interview and the SANE Exam
In child cases especially, two pieces of evidence tend to decide everything: the forensic interview and the medical exam. Both happen early, and both can be challenged.
The Alliance for Children is the children's advocacy center serving all of Tarrant County, with child-friendly centers in Fort Worth, Arlington, and Hurst. When an outcry is reported, a specially trained forensic interviewer speaks with the child a single time, on video, in a neutral setting designed to reduce trauma. That recording frequently becomes the State's centerpiece. A careful defense reviews it frame by frame for leading questions, suggestive prompts, prior coaching, contamination from a divorcing parent, and internal inconsistencies — because a flawed interview can be the reason a case is declined or falls apart at an outcry hearing under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 38.072.
A SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) exam, often performed at Cook Children's Medical Center or JPS Health Network, produces a medical record the State will use to argue that findings are “consistent with” abuse. But “consistent with” is not the same as “caused by,” and normal or ambiguous findings are common even where an assault is alleged. We retain qualified medical experts to review those records and, where appropriate, explain to a jury what the findings do and do not show.
Building the Defense — From the Investigation Forward
The single most important decision in a sex-offense case is often made before an arrest: whether to talk to the detective. In Tarrant County, sex-crime investigations frequently run for weeks, and detectives commonly ask the person to come in for a “voluntary” interview or to take a recorded pretext call from the complainant. Statements made in those moments are almost always the strongest evidence the State later has. Retaining counsel during the investigation lets us assert the right to remain silent, control any contact with law enforcement, preserve exculpatory messages and digital records before they are lost, and in some cases present the case for a no-file before an indictment is ever sought.
Once a case is filed, we run every sex-offense file through a consistent protocol so nothing is missed in the high-pressure first weeks.
Confidential Case Assessment
We respond quickly and discreetly, whether the client is under investigation or already arrested, and map out what must happen before the first court setting.
Investigation-Stage Protection
Where the case is pre-arrest, we manage detective contact, assert the right to silence, and move to preserve digital evidence, messages, and location data before it disappears.
Forensic & Medical Review
We scrutinize the forensic-interview recording for leading or contaminating questions and retain experts to review SANE findings and any DNA or device forensics.
Strategic Motion Practice
Motions to suppress statements taken without a valid waiver, challenges to phone and computer search warrants, motions in limine on extraneous-offense evidence under Tex. R. Evid. 404(b), and outcry-hearing challenges under art. 38.072.
Resolution — No-File, Reduction, or Trial
We negotiate from trial readiness, pursue a dismissal or no-file where the evidence is weak, and when the State will not move off a registerable felony we try the case to a Tarrant County jury.
Registration and the Collateral Consequences
For many clients, the prison range is not even the most frightening part — it is the sex-offender registry. Most sex-offense convictions, and some deferred adjudications, require registration under Chapter 62 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. Depending on the offense, the duty lasts ten years after discharge or for life. Registration is what dictates where a person can live, whether they can work in certain jobs, and how they can use the internet. It is also why the charge of conviction matters so much: pleading to a non-registerable offense, where the facts allow, can change a client's entire future. In narrow circumstances, a person who has already registered may later pursue early termination or deregistration after an individualized risk assessment.
Beyond registration, a sex-crime allegation reaches into nearly every part of life: professional licenses (teaching, nursing, medicine, and more), employment, immigration status, family-court custody and possession, and personal reputation. Because the collateral consequences are so broad, we treat them as part of the defense from day one, not an afterthought at sentencing.
Key Legal Terms
- Outcry
- A child complainant's first description of the alleged offense to an adult. The first qualifying outcry witness may testify to it under a hearsay exception in art. 38.072, subject to a pretrial reliability hearing.
- Forensic interview
- A single recorded interview of a child conducted by a trained interviewer at a children's advocacy center such as the Alliance for Children, meant to be neutral and non-leading.
- SANE exam
- A medical examination by a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. Findings are frequently described as “consistent with” a history, which is not proof of causation.
- Pretext call
- A recorded phone call, arranged by police, in which the complainant tries to get the suspect to make incriminating statements before any arrest.
Local Court, Jail & Bond Resources
Almost every felony sex-offense case in Tarrant County runs through one building: the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center at 401 W. Belknap Street in downtown Fort Worth, which houses the county's felony criminal district courts, the county criminal courts at law, and a basement magistrate court where new arrestees first see a judge. Most people arrested anywhere in the county — Fort Worth, Arlington, or the northeast-Tarrant cities — are transported to the Tarrant County Corrections Center at 100 N. Lamar Street for booking, and it is there that a magistrate sets bond and reads the first conditions of release.
How much that bond is, and whether it can be lowered, turns on the factors in Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.15 — the accused's ability to pay, community ties, the nature of the charge, and future court appearance — and a bond can be posted through a surety bondsman, a cash deposit, or, in the right case, an attorney-negotiated reduction. The links below are our own sister resources and the firm pages that help a family navigate the practical side of an arrest.
- Tarrant County jail, inmate search & court directory — booking status, visitation, and courthouse contacts in one place.
- How bail works in Texas — a plain-language explainer of magistration, bond types, and the art. 17.15 factors.
- Bond-reduction attorney in Tarrant County — when a magistrate's bond is unaffordable or the conditions are overbroad.
- Outstanding-warrant help in Tarrant County — if a sex-offense warrant has issued but no arrest has happened yet.
- Texas bail-bond requirements and bond conditions — what a court can and cannot impose while a case is pending.
- Active warrant help — LiftMyWarrant — our warrant-resolution resource for walking a warrant through safely.
Free, Confidential Consultation
Tell us what is happening — even if no charge has been filed yet. We respond seven days a week, discreetly. There is no obligation, and your message is protected by attorney-client privilege under Tex. Disciplinary R. Prof. Conduct 1.05.
Accused of a Sex Crime in Tarrant County?
The earlier you have counsel, the more we can do. Reggie and Njeri London answer the phone seven days a week — confidentially.
Call (972) 370-5060Tarrant County Sex Crimes FAQ
Where are sex crime cases heard in Tarrant County?
Felony sex-offense cases in Tarrant County are indicted and tried at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center, 401 W. Belknap Street in downtown Fort Worth. The building houses the county's felony criminal district courts and the county criminal courts at law, plus a magistrate court in the basement where arrestees are first brought before a judge. Almost every serious sex-crime prosecution in the county, no matter which city the arrest happened in, is funneled through this courthouse.
Where is someone booked after a sex crime arrest in Tarrant County?
Most arrestees are transported to the Tarrant County Corrections Center at 100 N. Lamar Street in Fort Worth, the county's central intake facility, where they are booked, photographed, and enrolled by iris scan. City police departments such as Fort Worth, Arlington, and the northeast-Tarrant agencies may hold a person briefly in a municipal jail, but felony sex-offense arrestees are moved to the county Corrections Center for magistration and bond setting.
How does the Tarrant County District Attorney handle sex crime cases?
The Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office runs a Special Victims section that handles the physical and sexual abuse of children, child-pornography cases, and crimes against the elderly and persons with disabilities. Those prosecutors work as part of a multidisciplinary team with local police, Cook Children's Medical Center, the Department of Family and Protective Services, and the Alliance for Children advocacy center. Because these files are handled by specialized prosecutors, defense counsel who understand that workflow can identify the weak points early.
What is a forensic interview at the Alliance for Children?
Alliance for Children is the children's advocacy center serving Tarrant County, with locations in Fort Worth, Arlington, and Hurst. When a child outcry is reported, a trained forensic interviewer speaks with the child once, in a neutral child-friendly setting, on video. That recorded interview frequently becomes the centerpiece of the State's case. A defense that carefully reviews the interview for leading questions, contamination, and inconsistencies is often the difference between a chargeable case and a declined one.
What is the punishment range for sexual assault in Texas?
Sexual assault under Tex. Penal Code Section 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 Section 22.021 is a first-degree felony carrying 5 to 99 years or life. When the complainant is younger than 6, or younger than 14 under certain aggravating facts, Section 22.021 raises the minimum to 25 years with no parole eligibility during that term. A conviction for either offense generally carries lifetime sex-offender registration.
Can I be charged with a sex crime with no physical evidence?
Yes. Under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 38.07, the uncorroborated testimony of a complainant can support a sexual-assault conviction, and for a child complainant no outcry-timing requirement applies. Many Tarrant County sex-offense cases rest almost entirely on a single accusation with no DNA, no injury, and no eyewitness. That does not make the case unwinnable; it shifts the fight to credibility, motive to fabricate, the reliability of the forensic interview, and inconsistencies in the account.
What bond conditions apply in Tarrant County sex crime cases?
Bond in a felony sex case is set by the magistrate at the Corrections Center and typically comes with strict conditions: no contact with the complainant, no unsupervised contact with minors, no internet or social-media use in online-solicitation cases, GPS monitoring, and sometimes a curfew. When a child in the home is involved, a protective order and CPS involvement often follow. We move quickly for a bond-reduction hearing and to narrow conditions that separate a parent from their own children before any finding of guilt.
Why is early, pre-charge representation so important in a sex case?
Many sex-offense investigations run for weeks before an arrest. In that window a detective may ask the person to come in for a voluntary interview or a pretext phone call. Statements made then are frequently the strongest evidence the State later uses. Retaining counsel during the investigation lets us assert the right to remain silent, respond to the detective in a controlled way, preserve exculpatory evidence and digital records before they are lost, and sometimes present the case for a no-file before an indictment is ever sought.
Will a Texas sex crime conviction put me on the registry?
Most sex-offense convictions and some deferred adjudications trigger registration under Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Chapter 62. Depending on the offense, the duty lasts 10 years after discharge or for life. Registration drives many of the collateral consequences clients fear most: where they can live, work, and go online. Because registration attaches to the offense of conviction, the charge you plead to matters enormously, and in narrow circumstances early termination or deregistration may later be available.
Why hire L and L Law Group for a Tarrant County sex crime case?
Co-Founding Partners Reggie London (Bar 24043514) and Njeri London (Bar 24043266) defend sex-offense allegations as a two-attorney team, and every file is reviewed by both before the first setting. We handle these cases with discretion and a presumption-of-innocence footing, we know how the Special Victims prosecutors and the Tim Curry courts move, and we build the defense from the investigation stage forward. Free, confidential consultations are available seven days a week at (972) 370-5060.
Sex Crime Defense Across Tarrant County
From our Frisco office we defend sex-crime and sexual-assault allegations throughout Tarrant County and the wider Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex — in Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie, and the northeast-Tarrant cities, with every felony case routed to the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center. We also handle these cases in the neighboring counties and can be reached the same day, seven days a week.
References & Authorities
- Tex. Penal Code §22.011, Sexual Assault — statutes.capitol.texas.gov
- Tex. Penal Code §22.021, Aggravated Sexual Assault (incl. subsec. (f) 25-year minimum) — statutes.capitol.texas.gov
- Tex. Penal Code §21.08 (Indecent Exposure) & §21.11 (Indecency with a Child) — statutes.capitol.texas.gov
- Tex. Penal Code §33.021, Online Solicitation of a Minor — statutes.capitol.texas.gov
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Ch. 62, Sex Offender Registration — statutes.capitol.texas.gov
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 38.07 (uncorroborated testimony) & art. 38.072 (outcry) — statutes.capitol.texas.gov
- Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney — Special Victims — tarrantcountytx.gov
- Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center, 401 W. Belknap St, Fort Worth — tarrantcountytx.gov
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 case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.