Sex Crimes Defense Law Firm Southlake | Barbieri Law Firm

Sex Crimes Defense for Southlake, Texas Clients

Sex crimes defense means representing people accused of sex offenses and assaultive offenses under Texas law. Barbieri Law Firm, based in Frisco, handles these cases for clients in Southlake, Collin County, Dallas-Fort Worth and across Texas. The first step is a free initial consultation, which is confidential and carries no obligation to continue. This page explains what the defense covers, how the process works, and what to ask before you decide.

What Sex Crimes Defense Covers and Who It Is For

Sex crimes defense covers the whole case, from the first police contact through trial or resolution. It is for:

• People whom police or investigators have contacted about an allegation.
• People who have been arrested or booked into jail.
• People who have been formally charged.
• Family members worried about a loved one’s case.

An allegation can affect far more than a courtroom case. Jobs, professional licenses, family relationships and reputation can all be at stake. Often that happens before any case is decided, so a defense plan should address these areas from the start.

Barbieri Law Firm is based in Frisco. The firm handles matters in Southlake, across Collin County, in Dallas-Fort Worth and throughout Texas.

Offenses Barbieri Law Firm Defends in Texas

The firm defends sex crimes, aggravated sexual assault, child sex crimes, online sex crimes, aggravated assault and family violence charges. The grade of each charge matters, because it sets the possible punishment. Here is how the Texas Penal Code treats several of these offenses:

• Aggravated sexual assault. Under Texas Penal Code § 22.021, it is a first-degree felony. Under this section, the offense is a felony of the first degree, and the minimum term of imprisonment is increased to 25 years if the victim is younger than 10 at the time the offense is committed, or younger than 14 at that time and the actor commits the offense in a manner described by Subsection (a)(2)(A).
• Indecency with a child. Under Texas Penal Code § 21.11, sexual contact is a second-degree felony. Exposure is a third-degree felony.
• Online solicitation of a minor. Under Texas Penal Code § 33.021, an offense under Subsection (b), which involves sexually explicit communication or material sent to a minor, is a felony of the third degree, or a felony of the second degree if the minor is younger than 14 years of age or is someone the actor believes to be younger than 14 at the time of the offense. An offense under Subsection (c), which involves knowingly soliciting a minor to meet with intent that the minor engage in sexual contact, sexual intercourse, or deviate sexual intercourse, is a felony of the second degree, and the punishment may be increased to the next higher category under Subsection (f-1) if the school-hours and knowledge conditions in that subsection are shown at trial.
• Aggravated assault. Under Texas Penal Code § 22.02, it is a second-degree felony. Certain listed circumstances make it a first-degree felony.
• It also covers abuse, as defined in Sections 261.001(1)(C), (E), (G), (H), (I), (J), (K), and (M) of the Family Code, by a member of a family or household toward a child of the family or household, and dating violence, as defined in Section 71.0021. Defensive measures to protect yourself are not included.

Every case turns on its own facts, and we review the evidence in yours. We review the charging language against those elements. A charge can be narrower or broader than the story police first heard.

What to Do If You Are Under Investigation

The earliest time to talk to a lawyer is before you answer questions. Avoid giving statements, signing documents or agreeing to searches of your phone, computer or accounts. Early choices can shape the rest of the case.

A lawyer can review the allegation, communicate with investigators for you and explain your options before charges are filed. Until then, take these steps:

• Write down what you remember, including dates, places and people. Keep these notes private and share them with your lawyer.
• Keep all messages, photos and records. Do not delete anything.
• Do not contact the person who made the allegation, and do not post about it online.
• After an arrest, follow every bond condition and no-contact order exactly. Under Texas Penal Code § 25.07, violating a bond condition in a family violence or sexual assault case can be its own offense.

How the Defense Process Works, Step by Step

The process moves from a confidential consultation to evidence review, bond steps, investigation, negotiation or motions, and then trial or resolution. Each step builds on the last.

1. Confidential consultation. You share the facts you can, and we answer your questions.
2. Evidence review. We review police reports, statements, booking records, bond conditions and any video or digital evidence.
3. Bond and protective steps. We address bond conditions and no-contact orders that affect your daily life.
4. Investigation. We identify witnesses, gather records and evaluate forensic and digital evidence. In sexual assault cases, legally required DNA is collected and can be entered into CODIS, as the Texas Rangers’ Sexual Assault Kit Initiative explains.
5. Negotiation and motions. When appropriate, we discuss resolutions with prosecutors. We also challenge evidence that may not be admissible.
6. Trial or resolution. We prepare for trial if needed. Otherwise, we finalize a resolution you choose after consultation. In some cases, and not for every offense, a plea of guilty or no contest with a finding that the evidence supports guilt may lead to deferred adjudication, in which the judge defers further proceedings without entering an adjudication of guilt. Other resolutions, such as dismissal, reduced charges or regular probation, may be available, but which options are legally available depends on the offense charged and the facts.

How long a case takes depends on the court’s schedule and the evidence. We will explain the timeline as it becomes clear.

Online and Child-Related Allegations: What Changes

Online and child-related cases often turn on digital records and on how statements were gathered. Those details can change the defense.

Online enticement involves grooming and exploitation carried out through electronic messages. The NCMEC on online enticement describes these tactics. Federal task forces also investigate these cases. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention describes its Internet Crimes Against Children program.

In these cases, we review:

• Device and account records.
• The chain of custody for digital files, meaning who handled them and when.
• Recorded interviews and how they were conducted.
• The timing of the allegation.

Because these cases carry serious consequences, share sensitive details only in a confidential consultation.

Why Barbieri Law Firm for Your Defense

Barbieri Law Firm is an all-women criminal defense firm in Frisco, Texas, that defends professionals and others accused of sex crimes and assaultive offenses. Heather Jean Barbieri, Board Certified, Criminal Law — Texas Board of Legal Specialization, leads the firm.

The firm’s lawyers are Heather Barbieri and Carrie Thomas. Support staff work alongside them on each matter. Our approach is direct:

• We review the evidence, including police reports, recordings and digital records.
• We explain your options in writing or in person.
• We keep you informed about what happens next.

No lawyer can promise an outcome. What we can offer is a clear, honest review of your facts and your choices.

Common Questions Before You Call

Short answers to the questions readers ask most often are below.