Kansas City Sex Crime Attorneys

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Even when the accusation is false, fighting sex crime charges can be an uphill battle. It is common for these cases to be “he said, she said” situations with little physical evidence available to show what really happened. Sex crime investigations are typically structured to build a case against the accused rather than scrutinizing the potential that the allegations are distortions, false memories, or outright fabrications. To maintain your freedom and your reputation, it is imperative that you hire a criminal defense attorney who knows how to manage sex crime investigations and execute a successful defense. You need Joseph, Hollander & Craft’s Kansas City sex crime attorneys on your side.

What to Do If You’re Accused of a Sex Offense

If you are accused of a sexual offense in the Kansas City metro area, contact Joseph, Hollander & Craft’s Kansas City sex crime defense lawyers immediately. If possible, you should hire an attorney before charges are filed and before law enforcement contacts you. Police will want to interview you, and the decision of whether or when to talk should not be made without counsel.

The same may be true with respect to talking to friends and family. Too often, people believe they are clearing their name or reputation only to realize they have made statements that can be used against them and turned their closest confidantes into adverse witnesses.

Our Kansas City Sex Crime Attorneys Work to Build Your Defense

The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can track down and preserve evidence in your defense. Our Kansas City sex crime attorneys are proactive defenders of your freedom, your reputation, and your rights. We work with skilled investigators to ensure the evidence supporting our clients is not overlooked so we can provide law enforcement officers and prosecutors exculpatory evidence to demonstrate that no crime occurred. With early intervention and decisive action, it is possible to prevent charges from ever being filed.

Even if a charge has already been filed, we will still undertake an independent investigation on your behalf. At Joseph, Hollander & Craft, we don’t just react to the prosecution’s evidence. While we have successfully defended cases by poking holes in the other side’s case, we always endeavor to provide the most comprehensive defense possible.

Charges Our Kansas City Sex Crime Attorneys Defend

Our Kansas City sex crime attorneys represent clients accused of and charged with all types of sexual offenses, including:

• rape
• statutory rape / unlawful voluntary sexual relations
• indecent liberties
• child molestation
• sexual misconduct
• criminal sodomy
• sexual assault
• sexual abuse

Our criminal defense lawyers have experience defending nearly every type of sexual offense. We also regularly handle cases that do not involve sexual contact, such as lewd and lascivious behavior, indecent solicitation, electronic solicitation, and sexual exploitation of a child, as well as charges for possession, receipt, distribution, and production of child pornography. We have experience with everything from misdemeanor sexual battery to federal sex trafficking.

Our defense team in Kansas City includes a former prosecutor who specialized in sex and child abuse prosecutions. Now she uses that unique insight to defend the wrongly accused, negotiate reasonable resolutions to challenging cases, and obtain just sentences and treatment for individuals convicted of sex offenses.

Trust Our Kansas City Sex Crime Attorneys to Defend Your Case

Having successfully defended countless clients against serious sex crime allegations in state and federal courts across Kansas and Missouri, our Kansas City sex criminal defense lawyers have the experience and skill you need. We will aggressively defend your constitutional rights and stand between you and a wrongful conviction.

Don’t delay—call Joseph, Hollander & Craft in Kansas City as soon as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the age of consent?

In Kansas, the age of consent is 16. No individual younger than 16 can legally consent to sexual contact.

In Missouri, the age of consent is 17. No individual younger than 17 can legally consent to sexual contact.

Sexual images of any minor (anyone under 18 years old) may be considered child pornography or child sexual exploitation material even if the person depicted has reached the age to give lawful consent to sexual contact.

Is consent a defense to sex crime charges?

Consent is a defense against many sex crime charges, but not all of them. Some people are deemed legally unable to provide valid consent to sexual contact. Even when they explicitly agree to a sexual act or solicit the sexual act, that consent is invalid under the law. For example, children and teens who have not attained the age of consent cannot legally consent to sexual contact. A person may also be legally unable to consent to sex due to intoxication or mental condition.

An adult police officer pretended to be a child online. Isn’t that entrapment?

Because electronic solicitation offenses do not require that the victim actually be underage but only that the defendant believes he is communicating with someone underage, it is common for prosecutions of internet sex offenses to involve adults posing as underage girls or boys. In character, police may initiate contact or conversation online, offer confusing and contradictory information about their identity and age, and even instigate discussions of a sexual nature.

Entrapment occurs when law enforcement agents induce someone to commit a crime. Entrapment is not a valid defense if police merely afford an individual opportunity to commit a crime and he intentionally follows through of his own accord. Therefore, whether police conduct will be considered to have crossed the line to entrapment is typically a fact-specific inquiry.

Can a sex crime charge affect my child custody arrangement?

Sex crime convictions, and even charges, may affect a parent’s child custody arrangement. Courts prioritize the best interests of the child when making custody decisions, which means they must evaluate the parents in terms of their fitness to raise and be present with the child. When an allegation of a sex crime enters into the equation, the judge is going to be particularly sensitive to the child’s best interests.

If the court is convinced or even suspects that a parent may have committed a sex crime, the repercussions for the accused may be significant. A judge may decide to award sole custody to the other parent, to suspend visitation rights for the accused parent, or to require supervised visitation as a precaution. If a parent is ultimately convicted of a sex crime, this may provide a basis for the other parent to petition for termination of the convicted parent’s parental rights.

For your own rights as a parent and the child’s best interests as well, you must contact a Kansas City child custody attorney immediately if anyone has accused you of or charged you with a sex crime against your child.

Can a criminal conviction affect my professional license?

Any criminal convictions generally affect one’s professional license (e.g. to practice law, medicine, or another line of work with licensure requirements). More serious convictions, such as sex crime convictions, are likely to have a significant impact on your license. However, depending on the facts and circumstances, it may be possible for a Kansas City professional licensure defense attorney to protect your license and your ability to continue practicing.

Will a sex crime charge show up in a background check?

Information available through criminal background checks (commonly used for employment applications, professional license applications, and admissions to higher education institutions) is not necessarily limited to convictions. Background reports often include information regarding arrests and criminal charges. A sex crime arrest or charge can therefore appear in a background check even if the case is pending.

Work with a knowledgeable sex crime defense lawyer in Kansas City to better understand your rights and to learn how an employer or other party may use information in your background check.

Can sex crimes be expunged?

Many sex crime convictions cannot be expunged.

Missouri statute makes Class A felonies and offenses that require sex offender registration ineligible for expungement. The following sex offenses were added to Missouri’s list of crimes that cannot be expunged as of 2025:

• Sexual conduct with a nursing facility resident or vulnerable person (Second Degree)
• Child used in sexual performance
• Promoting sexual performance by a child

The Kansas expungement statute enumerates a list of several sex crimes that cannot be expunged, including:

• Sexual battery committed against a minor (under age 18)
• Aggravated sexual battery
• Rape
• Indecent liberties with a child
• Aggravated indecent liberties with a child
• Criminal sodomy
• Aggravated criminal sodomy
• Indecent solicitation of a child
• Aggravated incest

In addition, expungement is not permitted during any period in which a person is required to register as a sex offender.

Do You Have a Sex Crime Defense Attorney Near Me?

Our Kansas City office is located on 10th Street & Cherry Street, not far from the United States District Courthouse for the Western District of Missouri and the Jackson County Courthouse. We also have offices in Overland Park, Lawrence, Topeka, and Wichita for your convenience.