Sex crimes are often prosecuted so aggressively because they are usually crimes involving a clear victim who has been seriously injured. Obviously in the case of rape or forcible sexual abuse the victim has been seriously violated and therefore the criminal justice system steps in to punish the bad behavior and attempt to provide some justice to the victim. In child pornography cases the idea that punishing those that create or even view child pornography will help keep the child victims from being violated in the future. In the case of voyeurism it is the same idea even though the victim might now be aware of the defendant’s conduct because the victims privacy and that is an injury to them when they do become aware of the conduct, especially if they were recorded.
Utah’s Voyeurism Laws
In Utah there are four different categories of voyeurism and depending on the circumstances of the crime the individual may be charged with up to a third degree felony. The first offense spoken of in the statute is when a person uses some sort of device to basically spy on another person, like a camcorder, camera, etc…, and that offense is a class A misdemeanor. The second offense is the same as the first except that the victim is a child under the age of 14 and that elevates the crime to a third degree felony. The third offense is for selling the images that were obtained from the first offense and that is also a third degree felony, and the final offenses is if no device was used and that is a class B misdemeanor.
Ogden Sex Crimes Attorney | Protecting Yourself Against Criminal Charges
If you have been charged with any of these voyeurism offenses in Northern Utah, like Ogden, Farmington, or Brigham City, then call Ogden Criminal Defense to get help defending yourself. Our attorneys have represented hundreds of sex crime defendants and we know how to help you get the best outcome available.
