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Criminal defense
Long Beach Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer
A sex offense allegation does damage before any court is involved, and the period before charges are filed is usually the most important part of the case. What happens then is often decided by whether the accused spoke to an investigator. The consultation is free.
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Before charges
The investigation stage
These cases are almost always investigated before they are filed, and the investigation has a standard shape. A report is made, and detectives then try to obtain the accused’s account, frequently through what is presented as an informal conversation, and often through a pretext call: a recorded phone call from the complainant, made with police guidance, designed to elicit an apology or an ambiguous statement that can be read as one.
Nothing said in either is off the record, and an apology offered to calm a distressing conversation becomes the centrepiece of the prosecution. Anyone contacted about an allegation of this kind should say that they will not discuss it without a lawyer, end the conversation, and call one. That is not evidence of guilt and cannot be used as such.
The pre-filing window is also where a defense can do the most: preserving messages and location data before they are lost, identifying witnesses, and in some cases presenting material to the prosecutor before the charging decision is made.
The charges
What California actually charges
The range runs from misdemeanor sexual battery and indecent exposure through felony sexual battery, rape, lewd acts with a child, and possession or distribution of child sexual abuse material. Consent, capacity, and the complainant’s age are the recurring issues, and in child cases the offense is defined so that consent is not a defense at all, which makes the accuracy of the allegation the whole case.
Internet-based cases have become a large share of the practice: solicitation stings, images alleged to have been possessed or shared, and communications with someone who turned out to be an officer. In those cases entrapment, the identity of the person actually at the keyboard, and whether the files were knowingly possessed rather than cached, downloaded in a bundle, or on a shared device are genuine and frequently successful issues.
Sources: Penal Code 261 — rape; Penal Code 243.4 — sexual battery; Penal Code 288 — lewd acts with a child under 14; Penal Code 288.3 — contacting a minor with intent to commit an offense; Penal Code 311.11 — possession of child pornography.
Registration
Three tiers, not automatic lifetime registration
This is the part most often described wrongly, including on the page this one replaces. Since Senate Bill 384 took effect on 1 January 2021, California registration is tiered rather than uniformly for life. Tier one requires registration for a minimum of 10 years, tier two for a minimum of 20 years, and tier three for life. Which tier applies depends on the offense of conviction and on the person’s history, and the tiers carry different rules.
Penal Code 290.5 allows a tier one or tier two registrant to petition for termination of the registration requirement once the minimum period has been completed and the other statutory conditions are met. Termination is not automatic when the years elapse: a petition must be filed, the district attorney may oppose, and the court decides.
Because the tier follows from the offense of conviction, which offense a case resolves to can matter more than the length of any sentence. A plea to an offense that carries no registration, or a lower tier, is frequently the most valuable outcome available.
Sources: Penal Code 290(d)(1)–(3) — tier one, two, and three registration periods; Penal Code 290.5 — petition for termination of registration.
The defense
How these cases are defended
Consent, where the complainant was an adult with capacity, is the central issue in many cases, and it is proved from communications before and after the encounter, the conduct of both people, and the sequence of events rather than from a single account.
False and mistaken allegations do occur, and they have recognisable contexts: custody and divorce proceedings, immigration benefit applications, civil claims, and disputes that escalated. Motive, timing, and the evolution of the account across successive retellings are legitimate and important areas of examination, conducted carefully.
Then the forensic and procedural work: what the medical examination actually showed as opposed to how it was summarised, DNA that establishes contact but not the absence of consent, the reliability of a child forensic interview conducted with suggestive questioning, digital evidence including device attribution and whether files were knowingly possessed, and the legality of the searches and statements.
The office
How the Law Offices of Patrick S. Aguirre handles these cases
The office has defended serious criminal cases in Long Beach and across Los Angeles County for nearly three decades. In a case of this kind the first advice is almost always the same and it is the most valuable: do not speak to investigators, do not respond to the complainant, and do not delete anything, because deletion is both damaging and potentially a separate offense.
The work is then investigation and, where the evidence requires it, an outcome that avoids registration or reaches a lower tier. Nothing on this page predicts a result in any case. The firm has offices in Long Beach and Downey and speaks Spanish.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions
A detective wants to hear my side. Should I explain?
No. Detectives in these cases interview to obtain admissions, and an account given without counsel is used as the foundation of the prosecution. The same applies to a pretext call from the complainant, which is recorded with police involvement, and where an apology intended to calm someone becomes the key evidence. Decline politely and call a lawyer.
Does a sex offense conviction always mean lifetime registration?
No, not since Senate Bill 384 took effect in 2021. Penal Code 290 now sets three tiers: a minimum of 10 years, a minimum of 20 years, or life, depending on the offense of conviction and the person’s history. Tier one and tier two registrants may petition under Penal Code 290.5 to terminate registration after the minimum period, though it requires a petition and a court order rather than happening automatically.
The accusation is false. Does that end it quickly?
Unfortunately not by itself. These cases are filed on an account alone and are rarely dismissed early. What helps is evidence: messages, location data, witnesses, and the context in which the allegation arose, particularly where a custody, immigration, or civil matter is running alongside. That evidence needs to be preserved immediately, which is the strongest argument for getting counsel before charges rather than after.
Can these charges be reduced?
Sometimes, and the reduction that matters most is often to an offense that carries no registration requirement or a lower tier rather than a shorter sentence. What is realistic depends entirely on the evidence, and no outcome can be promised in advance.
Selected case results
Criminal defense results
A selection from 55 documented results
Criminal defense
Serious felony charges
Riverside Superior Court
Not guilty on all charges after three years in custody
Criminal defense
Domestic violence charge
Westminster Superior Court
Charge dismissed at trial
Client experiences
What clients say
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Meet your attorney
Law Offices of Patrick S. Aguirre
A Professional Law Corporation
The future of your case may depend on a successful outcome. It can be stressful to go through the legal process alone—but thankfully, you don’t have to.
The Law Offices of Patrick S. Aguirre will stand up for clients’ interests and rights, providing high-quality representation in personal injury cases and criminal defense matters throughout California from its Long Beach office.
We work with you and for your best interests. Our legal team is compassionate, hard-working, and tenacious—fighting to get the job done right when it matters most. No case is too complicated or insignificant for our full attention. Our clients may move forward into a brighter future free from worry about past mistakes.
We’re the legal team that never gives up. When you need an attorney who will fight for what’s right, turn to us, and we’ll do everything in our power to help. No matter how challenging your situation may seem, there is hope.
“Courage is the most important attribute of a lawyer.”
Robert F. Kennedy
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Thank you.
The office received your contact request. If your matter is urgent, call 562-904-4337.