How Social Media Can Land You A Date With Criminal Disaster
Social media often creates a fun environment in which you can chat with friends and family and even meet new people. If you currently have a social media profile, you are not alone. There are approximately 2.3 billion individuals actively using social media throughout the world. Despite the allure of constant and easy communication that social media provides, it could also pose as a recipe for criminal disaster. Fortunately, there are ways you can avoid such a scandal.
Internet Stings and the Non-Predator
When it comes to technology, not everyone is as tech savvy as they believe they are. In fact, the digital generation, also known as millennials, may not be as adept at using technology as some might think. Roughly 58% of millennials are unable to master certain tech skills. Unfortunately, a lack of tech skills might make some people targets for potential internet stings.
An internet sting may involve law enforcement setting up a profile under the false pretense that the profile belongs to a young woman of legal age. The officers then set out to contact individuals, typically men, in an attempt to draw them in and begin a relationship. As the relationship progresses, the officers may then inform the target that they are actually an underage child. If communication continues between the target and the officers, the target could find themselves facing criminal charges.
While you may have intentions of seeking out a date with a person of legal, consenting age, keep in mind that law enforcement officials typically create fake profiles for adult social media sites and chat rooms. Fortunately, there are ways you can spot a fake profile. One way to spot a fake profile is by looking at the profile pictures. A fake profile may only have one profile picture rather. Additionally, the details of the profile may seem far-fetched in terms of job, living arrangements, and even income.
If you happen to spot anything that makes a profile seem suspicious, your best bet is to avoid it at all costs. If you happen to chat with someone that later admits they are a minor, you should cut ties immediately. Providing a response, even if it is non-sexual in nature, could land you in trouble since you are choosing to continue contact with what now appears to be a minor child.
Do not think that just because you have no intention of committing sexual misconduct with a minor, you are free to continue chatting with a minor child. Once a person admits that they are a minor, you could be nailed with the solicitation of a minor should you continue contact. Additionally, if a woman tells you that she is bringing along a younger sibling, you should politely decline the invitation to meet and cease all communication as it may be a setup created by an internet sting operation.
Secure Professional Legal Defense
As was already mentioned, not everyone is as tech savvy as they think. If you lack tech savvy skills, it may be harder for you to spot potentially fake profiles. It may also be difficult for you to keep track of various chats, making it easier for you to accidentally carry on a conversation with an officer posing to be a child on a social media site.
Just because you get swept up in an internet sting operation does not mean that you are a criminal. However, if you are charged, you could face fines and prison time. You are also likely to find yourself on a lifelong sexual offender registry list. Landing yourself on a public record sex offender list can make it almost impossible for you to get a job, rent a home, or even live in a home where minor children are living.
Fortunately, securing yourself a professional criminal defense attorney can ensure that an internet sting does not ruin your life. Make sure to provide your attorney with plenty of documentation, including records of the chat you were involved with, so he or she can review the files and determine the best legal defense approach. A knowledgeable criminal defense lawyer may be able to turn the case around in your favor simply by claiming entrapment on your behalf.
Share
