Calm, Careful Sex Crimes Defense in Collin County

Allen Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer | Barbieri Law Firm

Sex Crimes Defense for Allen and Collin County Residents

Barbieri Law Firm defends people accused of sex crimes and assaultive offenses in Allen, across Collin County, and throughout Texas.

The firm is based in Frisco, Texas. It is an all-women criminal defense firm. Its lawyers are Heather Barbieri and Carrie Thomas. The firm represents clients charged in Allen, McKinney, Plano, Prosper, and the rest of Collin County.

This page is for people who have been arrested, charged, indicted, or are under investigation. It is also for family members who are helping a loved one decide whom to call. A charge can affect your job, your reputation, your home, and your family. Early review gives your lawyer more time to work on the facts.

Charges We Defend

The firm defends sex crimes, aggravated sexual assault, child sex crimes, online sex crimes, aggravated assault, and family violence charges. Each offense has its own elements and felony grade.

• Sex crimes. Sexual assault covers conduct that causes the penetration of, or contact with, another person’s anus, mouth or sexual organ without that person’s consent. Texas Penal Code § 22.011 makes it an offense to intentionally or knowingly cause the penetration of the anus or sexual organ of a child by any means, regardless of whether the person knows the child’s age at the time of the offense, and the same section defines “child” as a person younger than 17 years of age.
• Aggravated sexual assault. This is a first-degree felony under Penal Code § 22.021. The conduct that Texas Penal Code § 22.021 treats as aggravated sexual assault includes intentionally or knowingly causing the penetration of the anus or sexual organ of another person by any means, without that person’s consent, where the person also causes serious bodily injury or attempts to cause the death of the victim or another person in the course of the same criminal episode, or uses or exhibits a deadly weapon in the course of the same criminal episode, or where the victim is younger than 14 years of age, regardless of whether the person knows the age of the victim at the time of the offense.
• Child sex crimes. Indecency with a child is a second-degree felony for sexual contact and a third-degree felony for exposure. Continuous sexual abuse is committed when, during a period that is 30 or more days in duration, a person commits two or more acts of sexual abuse, and at the time of each act the actor is 17 years of age or older and the victim is a child younger than 14 years of age, regardless of whether the actor knows the victim’s age at the time of the offense, or a disabled individual.
• Online sex crimes. Online solicitation of a minor covers conduct sent over the internet or other electronic systems. Under § 33.021(b), it covers communicating in a sexually explicit manner with a minor or distributing sexually explicit material to a minor, when committed with the intent the statute requires. Under § 33.021(c), it covers knowingly soliciting a minor to meet another person, with the intent that the minor engage in sexual contact, sexual intercourse, or deviate sexual intercourse.
• Aggravated assault. Under Penal Code § 22.02, this is a second-degree felony. Aggravated assault requires an assault, as defined in Penal Code § 22.01, plus either causing serious bodily injury or using or exhibiting a deadly weapon during the assault. The offense is a second-degree felony, but it is a first-degree felony when the actor uses a deadly weapon during the assault and causes serious bodily injury to a person whose relationship to or association with the defendant is described by Family Code §§ 71.0021(b), 71.003 or 71.005, which include dating relationships.
• Family violence. Under Family Code § 71.004, family violence includes an act by a member of a family or household against another member of the family or household that is intended to result in physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or sexual assault, or a threat that reasonably places the member in fear of imminent physical harm, bodily injury, assault, or sexual assault; abuse of a child of the family or household by a member of the family or household; and dating violence. Defensive measures to protect yourself are not included.

Call about the exact charge.

What Happens After an Arrest or Charge in Texas

After an arrest, a Texas criminal case usually moves through booking, bond, investigation, and court steps. Each stage creates decisions you need to make carefully.

1. Arrest and booking. You are taken into custody and processed.
2. In a family violence or sexual assault case, violating a bond condition tied to victim safety can be a separate crime under Penal Code § 25.07.
3. Investigation and charging. The State may keep gathering evidence after you are released.
4. Review of evidence. Your lawyer reviews police reports, statements, recordings, and records.
5. Motions, negotiation, and trial preparation. Your lawyer evaluates the evidence and identifies legal issues.

Timelines vary by case, county court schedule, and charge. No fixed timeline fits every case.

What to Do Right Now While Your Case Is Open

The most important early steps are to stay quiet with investigators and to follow every bond condition exactly.

• Do not discuss the allegations with police or investigators without a lawyer present.
• Avoid contact with the complainant or any witness unless your lawyer has advised you on it.
• Stop posting about the case, the complainant, or the arrest on social media.
• Do not delete messages or accounts without advice from your lawyer.
• Bring bond papers, court notices, and written notes of what you remember to your first meeting.
• Write down every court date. Missing a court setting can have serious consequences.

How Your Free Consultation and Case Review Work

Your first step is a phone call or a case submission. The first consultation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation to continue.

• Step 1: Contact. Call (972) 424-1902 or send your case details through the website.
• Step 2: Facts. Explain the charge, the arrest, your bond status, and your court dates.
• Step 3: Evidence. Your lawyer reviews police reports, statements, recordings, and any digital or medical records. You will hear what the evidence shows and what it does not show.
• Step 4: Options. Your lawyer explains the options under Texas law, such as negotiation, pretrial motions, and trial, and what each would involve.
• Step 5: Next steps. If you hire the firm, your lawyers outline the next steps and what to expect.

No lawyer can assure you of an outcome. The review focuses on explaining your options clearly and honestly.

What Barbieri Law Firm Offers

Barbieri Law Firm focuses its practice on sex crimes and assaultive offenses. The firm defends professionals and others accused of these charges across Collin County, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Texas.

Heather Jean Barbieri, Board Certified, Criminal Law — Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

• All-women firm. Clients who want a private, direct conversation about sensitive allegations can speak with an all-women team.
• Named lawyers. Heather Barbieri and Carrie Thomas are the firm’s lawyers.
• Texas-specific review. The firm reviews each charge against the Texas statute that applies to it.
• Plain-language answers. The firm explains the process, the charge, and your options without jargon.
• Local reach. Clients in Allen, McKinney, Plano, Prosper, and across Collin County can reach the firm by phone or online.

Frequently Asked Questions

Talk to Barbieri Law Firm About Your Case

If police have asked to speak with you or you have been charged in Allen, you may choose to speak with a lawyer before you say more to anyone. If you have been charged in Allen, you don’t have to work out your next step alone. Call (972) 424-1902 or send your case details to our Frisco lawyers.

Attorney responsible for this site: Heather Barbieri, Barbieri Law Firm, Frisco, Texas.