The Kickham Comment - Boston Criminal Attorney Blog
Be careful what you say in a text message.
It used to be that phone calls and letters could be used in a court of law, to prove one guilty of indecent sexual solicitation. Nowadays, this Massachusetts sex crime can also be committed by text messaging, and here’s one example of that.
Last week a 21-year-old Massachusetts man was arrested and charged with a Raynham sex crime: Indecent solicitation of a 14-year-old girl who lives in Tiverton, R.I. Chad Virgil Souza was charged with a soliciting a child – a felony offense in Massachusetts – after he allegedly sent numerous text messages to a 14-year-old girl, mentioning sexual intercourse and drug use.
Reportedly this case dates back to December, 2011. The father of the girl had notified police when he realized the sexual content of the text messages his daughter was receiving. Because of that, police seized the girl’s cellphone, and arrested Souza. He was arraigned in Rhode Island’s Second District Court, with his bail set at $10,000.
As a Massachusetts sex crimes attorney, I can tell you this: Of all the crimes that someone can be charged with nowadays, a sex crime is one of the worst. District Attorneys’ offices across Massachusetts prosecute these cases very aggressively. If you are charged with a Massachusetts sex offense, and conviction results, your life can be completely ruined. Punishments are harsh: Convictions carry as much as 20 years in state prison, plus lengthy probation, court-ordered psychotherapy, and GPS monitoring — with an electronic device locked on to your ankle or wrist.