Charged With an Online Sex Crime? Start With a Free Consultation.

A free consultation for an online sex crime charge in Texas is a first meeting with a criminal defense lawyer. It is free, confidential, and carries no obligation to continue. Below you’ll find what the meeting covers, what to bring, and how fees work.

What an Online Sex Crime Charge Involves and Who This Consultation Is For

An online sex crime charge in Texas comes from electronic messages, images, or files. Texas law sets out separate offenses for different kinds of online conduct. Texas Penal Code § 33.021 makes certain online communications with a minor a criminal offense. Subsection (b) applies to a person 17 or older who, with intent to commit a listed offense, sends sexually explicit communications or material to a minor. Subsection (c) applies to knowingly soliciting a minor to meet for sexual contact, sexual intercourse, or deviate sexual intercourse.

Under Section 33.021(d), the rule that the meeting never occurring does not defeat the charge applies only to prosecution under Subsection (c), which covers solicitation to meet.

This consultation serves three situations. A charge may already be filed. An investigation or device seizure may be underway. Or a person may want advice before any charge. The accused, a parent, or a partner may make the first call.

What the Free Initial Consultation Includes

The meeting gives you a direct review of the charge and the facts as you know them. Bring these points to the discussion:

• The accusation, in your own words.
• A timeline of messages, device use, and any contact with police.
• Any arrest, bond, warrant, or court papers you have.

After that, the lawyer looks at what the state would need to prove. For a solicitation-to-meet charge, that includes intent that the minor engage in sexual contact, sexual intercourse, or deviate sexual intercourse.

Entrapment is a defense in Texas when a law enforcement agent induces the conduct. The agent must use persuasion or other means likely to cause persons to commit the offense. Texas Penal Code § 8.06 also says that merely giving someone an opportunity to commit an offense is not entrapment.

Device and account questions come up often. Who had access to a phone, computer, or account can matter. The lawyer reviews that question with you.

What to Bring and How to Prepare for the Meeting

Bring every piece of paper you have, a written timeline, and a list of questions. A short checklist helps:

• Charging, citation, or arrest papers.
• Bond conditions and any protective order.
• Search warrants or property receipts for seized phones or computers.
• Court dates and notices from the court or a prosecutor.
• Dates and times of messages or images, as you remember them.
• Your written questions.

Bond conditions carry their own risk. In a family violence or sexual assault case, violating a bond condition tied to a victim’s or community’s safety is a separate offense. Bring the bond paperwork.

Keep passwords, account logins, and device codes to yourself until you meet in person. Don’t send them by text or email. Write your timeline as private notes and bring them to the meeting.

How the Consultation Works, Step by Step

The consultation follows five steps, from first contact to your own decision.

1. Contact. Call (972) 424-1902 or use the online contact form to send case details.
2. Schedule. Pick a meeting time and confirm which documents to bring.
3. Intake. Describe the charge, the facts as you know them, and any urgent issue, such as a court date or bond condition.
4. Review. The lawyer reviews your paperwork and explains the possible next steps.
5. Decide. You hear how representation and fees would work, then you decide what comes next.

Criminal cases move in stages, including charges, court settings, and discovery. Discovery is the exchange of evidence between the state and the defense. The lawyer explains these stages so you know what usually comes next. Timing depends on the court and the facts of your case.

How Fees Are Structured for Online Sex Crime Defense in Texas

Fees for representation are discussed during the consultation, after the lawyer understands the charge. Ask for fee terms in writing before you agree to anything. A written fee discussion usually covers:

• Which stages of the case the fee includes, such as pretrial work or a court appearance.
• Which costs are separate, such as records or outside services.
• The payment terms, including when payments are due.

Don’t rely on memory for fee terms. A written summary gives you a clear record to review with family members before you decide.

Digital Evidence and Discovery: What the Review Involves

A digital evidence review starts with a list of what was seized, reported, or produced. Each device, account, message, and file gets identified. The review then asks who had access to each item and what the state says it shows.

Some digital charges turn on the content of an image. Under [Texas Penal Code § 43.26(a-1)], an offense has two required elements that must both be present. The first is that the person, intentionally or knowingly, possesses, or accesses with intent to view, visual material that contains a visual depiction of a child engaging in sexual conduct. The section joins a second required element to the first with ‘and’. Under the current text of Section 43.26, one element of an offense under Subsection (a-2) is that the person intentionally or knowingly possessed, or intentionally or knowingly accessed with intent to view, material containing a visual depiction of a computer-generated child engaging in sexual conduct. The statute lists further elements that must also be proved, and its definition of a computer-generated child includes, among other requirements, appearing to be a child younger than 18 years of age and being created using an artificial intelligence application or other computer software.

Suspected online exploitation can be reported to the NCMEC CyberTipline. NCMEC reviews those tips and refers them to law enforcement agencies for possible investigation. A report can start an investigation, so the first meeting often focuses on what the reader already knows about how the matter began.

The consultation shows which parts of the evidence need attention first.

Why Barbieri Law Firm for an Online Sex Crime Consultation

Barbieri Law Firm is an all-women criminal defense firm based in Frisco, Texas. It serves Collin County, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Texas.

Heather Jean Barbieri, Board Certified, Criminal Law — Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She leads the firm.

The firm defends people accused of sex crimes and assaultive offenses. That work includes online sex crimes, aggravated sexual assault, aggravated assault, and family violence. Our team of support staff assists with the office work.

When you call, you can expect a plain explanation of the charge, the evidence, and the choices in front of you.

Common Questions Before You Call

Take the Next Step: Talk With Barbieri Law Firm

A charge like this often arrives with phone calls, seized devices, bond papers, and court dates. The facts may still be unclear. Call (972) 424-1902 or send your case details through the contact page. Bring the papers from the checklist above.