{"id":1201,"date":"2026-10-19T03:51:03","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T03:51:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/barbierilawfirm.com\/guides\/online-sex-crimes-defense-lawyer\/online-sex-crimes-defense-lawyer-professional-license-board-complaint-texas\/"},"modified":"2026-11-02T08:25:41","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T08:25:41","slug":"online-sex-crimes-defense-lawyer-professional-license-board-complaint-texas","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/barbierilawfirm.com\/guides\/online-sex-crimes-defense-lawyer\/online-sex-crimes-defense-lawyer-professional-license-board-complaint-texas\/","title":{"rendered":"Online Sex Crime Charges in Texas: Criminal Defense Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Online Sex Crimes | Collin County, Dallas-Fort Worth and Texas<\/p>

Facing an Online Sex Crime Charge in Texas? Understand Your Defense Before You Decide.<\/h1>

Barbieri Law Firm is an all-women criminal defense firm in Frisco, Texas. Heather Jean Barbieri, Board Certified, Criminal Law — Texas Board of Legal Specialization, leads the defense of people accused of online sex crimes. Your first consultation is free, confidential and comes with no obligation to continue.<\/p>

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By Heather Barbieri \u00b7 Published October 18, 2026<\/p>\n\n

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Online Sex Crime Charge & Texas License Complaints<\/h2>\n

An online sex crime charge in Texas can affect more than a criminal case. For a licensed professional, it can also put a license and a career at risk. This page explains how those two tracks work, what a defense review covers and what to expect step by step. It does not predict how any case or license will end, because no lawyer can do that.<\/p>\n\n

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What this page covers and who it is for<\/h2>\n

This page is for licensed professionals who have been contacted about an allegation, charged, or placed under investigation. It is also for the spouse, family member or colleague trying to understand what comes next.<\/p>\n

Barbieri Law Firm is an all-women criminal defense firm in Frisco, Texas. It defends professionals accused of sex crimes and assaultive offenses in Collin County, Dallas-Fort Worth and across Texas.<\/p>\n

Online cases cover a wide range of conduct. Knowingly sending sexually explicit images by electronic means, when they were not sent at the recipient’s request or with the recipient’s express consent, can be a Class C misdemeanor (Texas Penal Code \u00a7 21.19<\/a>). Online solicitation of a minor is a felony under its own statute. The grade of the charge matters from the start.<\/p>\n

In short, the criminal case is decided in court. A licensing agency reviews the license under its own process. These are two separate tracks, and what gets said in one can affect the other.<\/p>\n

How an online sex crime case is handled from the first consultation<\/h2>\n

A license board complaint runs on its own track, apart from the criminal charge. The criminal case moves through the courts. The licensing agency follows its own process, with its own requests for information and its own decisions.<\/p>\n

Statements can cross between the two tracks. A written response to a licensing agency, or an interview with an investigator, can become part of the criminal file. That is why any response should be planned with the criminal defense in mind.<\/p>\n

A board letter may ask for records, a written explanation or a meeting. Each request is a separate question, and each one can carry its own response date. Keep both timelines on one calendar so nothing slips past.<\/p>\n

Timing and procedure differ by agency. The first review should confirm which agency is involved and exactly what it has asked for.<\/p>\n

Which professional licenses can be affected<\/h2>\n

Licensed professionals in many fields can face a review after a sex crime allegation. Educators are one example. Texas makes an improper relationship between an educator and an enrolled student a second-degree felony, and the law reaches conduct described in the online solicitation statute regardless of the student’s age.<\/p>\n

Each license has its own agency and its own rules. The same charge can affect one license differently than another. The review looks at the specific license as well as the specific charge.<\/p>\n

Penalties matter for the license question too. A second-degree felony is punishable by imprisonment for not less than 2 years and not more than 20 years, and a fine of up to $10,000 may be added.<\/p>\n

A charge is not a conviction. Keep the license question and the criminal question in view together.<\/p>\n

What a defense review covers<\/h2>\n

A defense review looks at the evidence, the exact charge and the options at each stage. Here is what it covers:<\/p>\n