Sometimes the evidence against a Tennessee resident accused of sex crimes is so overwhelming that the risk of going to trial is too great. When that individual is facing aggressive prosecution for a crime under these circumstances, it might be beneficial to work with prosecutors in order to come to an alternative resolution. In these cases, entering a guilty plea could help control the penalties he or she is likely to face.
For example, a Tennessee man found himself under investigation for attempting to induce children to come into his home for the purpose of having sex with them. When investigators questioned him about the allegations, he told them that he found children from the ages of nine through 12 attractive. In April 2015, officials arrested him.
He was charged with solicitation of a minor (two counts), trafficking for commercial sex (two counts) and for possessing various drugs, such as morphine. Ultimately, the man entered a guilty plea to eight counts of trafficking for commercial sex. The judge presiding over the case sentenced the man to more than 13 years in prison, which he will serve in the custody of the Tennessee Department of Corrections.
This man retained the right to be presumed innocent until and unless proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. However, after a review of the evidence gathered during the investigation and his statements to investigators, he and his criminal defense team most likely realized that the evidence would have been too much to overcome had the matter gone to trial. An aggressive prosecution could have resulted in much harsher penalties than he now faces.