Federal Sex Crimes / Sex Tourism

Sex Tourism: A New Federal Sex Crime

Did You Break the Law?

In 2003, U.S. legislators passed the Protect Act as part of the Patriot Act. The Protect Act gave the federal government much broader jurisdiction over the actions of U.S. residents and citizens planning to or going abroad.

American citizens can now be arrested for planning or taking a trip in order to engage in activity that is illegal in this country, but legal in the destination country.

Did you take a trip to Asia where you had sex with someone under the age of 18? It is legal in many southeast Asian countries to have sex at a younger age, but you are breaking American law and you can be prosecuted. Even if you didn't actually have sex but simply made a plan to go abroad to have sex with a minor, you can be arrested.

The intention of the Protect Act is to protect children from child sexual abuse (although the law can apply in other situations as well). The federal sentencing guidelines call for a mandatory 10 year prison sentence for a first offense of sex tourism, and mandatory life in prison for someone with a prior sex offense.

If you believe you are under investigation for an international sex crime or have been arrested for online solicitation or sex tourism, contact The Henry Law Firm in Philadelphia.

Experience and Resources for an Effective Defense

Our federal sex crimes defense attorneys are thoroughly familiar with the Patriot Act, the Protect Act and other laws that relate to Internet sex crimes such as solicitation and child pornography. We also stay on top of trends in enforcement and prosecution in this area. The Henry Law Firm has handled federal sex crimes and sex tourism cases in a dozen jurisdictions across the U.S. in state and federal courts.

In order to prepare a strong case in your defense, we work with computer forensic investigators who understand the limits of the Web, including experts in Lime wire and bear share file sharing software.

When a conviction is likely, we propose sentencing options that minimize harm to our clients. We have a psychologist on staff to help bolster our case.

Contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced federal sex crimes lawyer. If you are currently being investigated, you don't have to wait for an arrest before you contact an attorney you can trust. Your communication with a lawyer is confidential.

From our offices in Philadelphia and Media, our criminal defense attorneys represent clients facing Internet sex crime charges in Pennsylvania and New Jersey state courts in Harrisburg, Lancaster, Allentown, Scranton, Drexel Hill, Camden, Trenton, Vineland, Millville, Atlantic City, Cherry Hill, as well as Delaware County, Montgomery County, Chester County, Bucks County, Monroe County, Lehigh County, Berks County, and Dauphin County, and in federal courts across the United States.