Desperately need legal advice for my situation.

[sharpie12345]

Jurisdiction

Arizona

Hello everyone. If you're taking the time to read this then thank you... I'm stressing out.

About 6 months ago, I was contacted by a girl who said she lived in my area through Instagram. I have had many online friends, and am still close to many of them so I didn't really think much of it. She told me she was 17, and turning 18 in the coming year. Little did I know she was actually 11. I know you might ask yourself how I couldn't tell that she was 11. I took her word for it. She looked young, but not so young that I would think twice about her age. When I meet someone I don't meet up with the suspicion that they are lying to me... I just spoke with detectives that came to my house to explain the situation. She said she attended a high school in the area as well. She gave me her address and we went over to Denny's for a late night snack. We didn't do anything in this meeting. I bought her some food, and then I dropped her off and that was it. After this we began to talk a lot more, and we both expressed interest in each other. I took a road trip to California, but we still maintained contact throughout this time and facetimed a couple times as well.

I met up with her and we made out. That's it. I did not have any direct contact of her genitalia nor did she with me. We had our clothes on the entire time as well. This all took place in my car.

Upon returning she wanted to come over to my apartment and "spend the night" with me, and I said that's fine. She said that she would have to be dropped back off at her place by 7 AM. This meeting never happened because I had to call the police due to crazy neighbors slashing my tires.

Fast forward and the next time we met I had just gotten off of work and decided to go visit her. She snuck out of her house (her dad was home), and came out to my car. We talked for a bit and then kissed, and then she got a call from her dad I believe and ran back in the house. I waited about 10-15 minutes and then gave her a call to ask if everything was okay. She told me to leave immediately so I did. Upon getting to my house she said "I'm sorry, my dad called the cops". I asked her if she was alright, but she didn't reply.

This all took place around 6 months ago so I did my best to recall everything as accurately as I could.

Around two weeks ago from today, she messaged me out of the blue and sent me revealing "erotica" photos on snapchat. I did not save the pictures, and didn't press to make contact with her after that.

Then one week ago she messaged out of the blue again asking for wraps to smoke weed in. I said "sure, when do you need them by?" (I know I was in the wrong by saying yes), but ended up not giving anything to her because I didn't want to go out of my way to give a minor tobacco products. She also asked me for a ride back to her house from the mall that night around 1am which I declined.

Two detectives came to my front door and asked me about what happened and I told them what I wrote here. They said that I should try to stay as calm as I could and to not freak out too much as this was a "basket" case because it was clear from the information they had gotten (text logs, etc) that I did not have malicious intent, nor did I know that she was actually only 11 years of age. She told me multiple times that she was 17. They said to wait 5-6 months for an update on this and one of the detectives gave me a card to contact her if I needed anything. The detective also expressed that she had dealt with a lot of cases, and does not think the court would make an example of me, and told me that she would try to explain my side to the father. I offered to come with her and talk with the father, and she said its best to avoid all contact with the girl and her father, as well as make logs of everything I have that can be used to help me / write down what I remember.

I have no idea what to do as of now. I'm a 19 year old college student. I don't know if I should let my parents know (since they said it was going to another 5-6 months, and they might not even take the case). I don't know whether I should seek professional help from an attorney, and what important things I should document.

Any advice would be immensely helpful. I'm very scared and stressed out.

Thank you for reading.

 

[mightymoose]

I wouldn't worry about an attorney just yet. If at a later date you are arrested then you need an attorney.
Even if this girl was 17 you were walking a thin line as she is still a minor.
It will have to be proven that you knew her age, or should have known her age, and they may have it regardless what they told you.

Do as they said. Avoid all contact and report to them any attempts the girl makes to contact you. Stop talking about anything that happened previously. Talking about it can only hurt you, even if you believe you are innocent and have nothing to hide. You have a right to remain silent. Use it.

 

[sharpie12345]

I wouldn't worry about an attorney just yet. If at a later date you are arrested then you need an attorney.
Even if this girl was 17 you were walking a thin line as she is still a minor.
It will have to be proven that you knew her age, or should have known her age, and they may have it regardless what they told you.

Do as they said. Avoid all contact and report to them any attempts the girl makes to contact you. Stop talking about anything that happened previously. Talking about it can only hurt you, even if you believe you are innocent and have nothing to hide. You have a right to remain silent. Use it.

Thank you for your reply, mightymoose. I do have chat logs that show her saying she went to a nearby high school and that she was a senior. Are you saying that it has to be proven that I knew she was 11? Or that I didn't know she was 11. Sorry just a bit confused. Also, my right to remain silent - were you referring me speaking with the detectives?

 

[army judge]

Two detectives came to my front door and asked me about what happened and I told them what I wrote here. They said that I should try to stay as calm as I could and to not freak out too much as this was a "basket" case because it was clear from the information they had gotten (text logs, etc) that I did not have malicious intent, nor did I know that she was actually only 11 years of age. She told me multiple times that she was 17. They said to wait 5-6 months for an update on this and one of the detectives gave me a card to contact her if I needed anything. The detective also expressed that she had dealt with a lot of cases, and does not think the court would make an example of me, and told me that she would try to explain my side to the father. I offered to come with her and talk with the father, and she said its best to avoid all contact with the girl and her father, as well as make logs of everything I have that can be used to help me / write down what I remember.

I have no idea what to do as of now. I'm a 19 year old college student. I don't know if I should let my parents know (since they said it was going to another 5-6 months, and they might not even take the case). I don't know whether I should seek professional help from an attorney, and what important things I should document.

Any advice would be immensely helpful. I'm very scared and stressed out.

Even IF the person had been 17 years of age, she/he/it/them/trans/unsure/deciding that was a bad move ,mate.

If you hunt or fish, or know someone that does, you can't hunt it or catch it until its LEGAL.

If you're on the prowl for "feline", treat it like fine "wine", don't touch until its time, as in 18 years of age.

There is NO way an 11 year old could look as if it was a 17 year old.
Plus, a 17 year old "feline" is not yet legal for the purposes you were pursuing it.
Beyond all of that, you kept pursuing, hunting, maybe stalking the under age "feline".

Then you compound your missteps, perhaps your criminal offenses, by continuing to keep in contact with the child.
You speak of three or four contacts with this ILLICIT "feline", one or two outside her home.
You're on a roll now, mate, so you agree to meet with the cops and tell a story.
No good, as in NO GOSH DARN GOOD, can ever come of a criminal suspect talking to the police.
But hold the ponies, these police were "special".
The police you chose to blab to were "detectives", the craftiest of the crafty ones that do investigative police work, meaning they DETECT crimes and their FELONS.
NOTE: I use crafty in a good sense, meaning CLEVER.
Detectives are adept at getting "perps" to talk, as in spill their guts.
They are also good at relaxing their "marks", so much so that the unwilling often tell it all.

Before I wrap up my post, PLEASE FOR YOUR SAKE, mate, view these videos:
...
...

...
...

...
...

...
...
You should speak to at least THREE criminal defense lawyers in your county.
You need to HIRE one, ASAP.
If the police come calling again, they'll be carrying a warrant for your arrest.

In fact, the next law enforcement officers you see might be feds, with a child porn warrant.

No matter, local, county, state, or federal law enforcement; you need to cooperate when they arrive, be polite, and then say the following, "Sorry, I must invoke my fifth amendment rights, and remain silent. I have hired a lawyer, and wish to call him/her, when will you allow me to make that call?"

No matter what is said next, smile, and keep repeating the above spiel.

Mate, you could be in some deep, nasty, steamy, sticky, malodorous mammal poop.

 

[mightymoose]

Yes, you have had one conversation too many with the detectives. You should not have anymore. They have no interest in helping you. Their job is to obtain evidence to use against you. You have no obligation to provide it for them.
I was also saying it may not matter that she claimed to be 17. Even at 17 she was still a minor.
If evidence is found that tends to prove you knew, had reason to know, or should have known that she was under 18 it can be used against you. It doesn't matter so much that she turned out to be 11. She claimed to be 17, a minor, and you proceeded anyway. This could be very bad for you.

Again, I suggest you cease all contact. If she continues to try to contact you it may be worthwhile to report that to the detectives with minimal explanation. Let them investigate her instead of you.

Based on what you've said here I doubt this will just go away. You will be lucky if it does. Just go about your life, stay out of trouble as best you can, and if they come back for you at a later date keep quiet until you have an attorney.

 

[leslie82]

To the OP - you do realize the age of consent in Arizona is 18 right? So either way what you did is illegal even if she had been 17. 17 or 11 - at neither age can someone consent to sexual activity.

I don't understand how you didn't realize she's 11 when you met her. I know there are some girls who develop early but an 11 year old looking 17...I don't buy it. At all.

Lesson learned don't ever hook up with people you meet online. Especially Instagram. Stop talking to cops and get a lawyer. And stay away from online hookups.

 

[sharpie12345]

I wouldn't worry about an attorney just yet. If at a later date you are arrested then you need an attorney.
Even if this girl was 17 you were walking a thin line as she is still a minor.
It will have to be proven that you knew her age, or should have known her age, and they may have it regardless what they told you.

Do as they said. Avoid all contact and report to them any attempts the girl makes to contact you. Stop talking about anything that happened previously. Talking about it can only hurt you, even if you believe you are innocent and have nothing to hide. You have a right to remain silent. Use it.

I see. Thanks for clarifying. Yes, I knew that she was "17", but I did not do anything more than kiss her BECAUSE I knew that she wasn't 18 yet. This whole situation is a mess...

 

[sharpie12345]

Even IF the person had been 17 years of age, she/he/it/them/trans/unsure/deciding that was a bad move ,mate.

If you hunt or fish, or know someone that does, you can't hunt it or catch it until its LEGAL.

If you're on the prowl for "feline", treat it like fine "wine", don't touch until its time, as in 18 years of age.

There is NO way an 11 year old could look as if it was a 17 year old.
Plus, a 17 year old "feline" is not yet legal for the purposes you were pursuing it.
Beyond all of that, you kept pursuing, hunting, maybe stalking the under age "feline".

Then you compound your missteps, perhaps your criminal offenses, by continuing to keep in contact with the child.
You speak of three or four contacts with this ILLICIT "feline", one or two outside her home.
You're on a roll now, mate, so you agree to meet with the cops and tell a story.
No good, as in NO GOSH DARN GOOD, can ever come of a criminal suspect talking to the police.
But hold the ponies, these police were "special".
The police you chose to blab to were "detectives", the craftiest of the crafty ones that do investigative police work, meaning they DETECT crimes and their FELONS.
NOTE: I use crafty in a good sense, meaning CLEVER.
Detectives are adept at getting "perps" to talk, as in spill their guts.
They are also good at relaxing their "marks", so much so that the unwilling often tell it all.

Before I wrap up my post, PLEASE FOR YOUR SAKE, mate, view these videos:
...
...

...
...

...
...

...
...
You should speak to at least THREE criminal defense lawyers in your county.
You need to HIRE one, ASAP.
If the police come calling again, they'll be carrying a warrant for your arrest.

In fact, the next law enforcement officers you see might be feds, with a child porn warrant.

No matter, local, county, state, or federal law enforcement; you need to cooperate when they arrive, be polite, and then say the following, "Sorry, I must invoke my fifth amendment rights, and remain silent. I have hired a lawyer, and wish to call him/her, when will you allow me to make that call?"

No matter what is said next, smile, and keep repeating the above spiel.

Mate, you could be in some deep, nasty, steamy, sticky, malodorous mammal poop.

Thank you for your reply, armyjudge. I'm getting mixed responses... Do I need to hire a criminal defense lawyer right now? The detectives told me that this case is going to be chucked to the side and they'll probably only get to it 5-6 months after they write up their report (which was yesterday). I would really like to speak to the father and explain my situation to him, but they advised against it because he is probably furious... (understandably). Instead, one of the detectives suggested I write a letter and that she would be able to deliver the letter to him for me. Thank you again for your reply.

 

[sharpie12345]

To the OP - you do realize the age of consent in Arizona is 18 right? So either way what you did is illegal even if she had been 17. 17 or 11 - at neither age can someone consent to sexual activity.

I don't understand how you didn't realize she's 11 when you met her. I know there are some girls who develop early but an 11 year old looking 17...I don't buy it. At all.

Lesson learned don't ever hook up with people you meet online. Especially Instagram. Stop talking to cops and get a lawyer. And stay away from online hookups.

Thank you leslie82 for your reply. I know the age of consent in Arizona is 18. Which is why I didn't do anything more than kiss her because I knew that was a danger zone. On paper/text an 11 year old looking like a 17 year old seem like a very far stretch... However, like I said before I had no reason to think that she was lying to me from the very beginning. I have logs of her stating that she is a senior at a nearby highschool in the area.

Also - I've worked part time jobs here and there, and I have lots of customers tell me that I look extremely young for my age. A lot of my friends look VERY young and some of them are my age, and some are even older than I am. I've been told that I look like a 15 year old kid whilst working a part time job.

I'm not trying to convince you that I was in the wrong or right, I just wanted to clarify. Should I be looking into finding a legal representative ASAP? Or do I wait and see if I'm in actual trouble? The detective did say that he/she would talk to the father and explain my side of the story to him. I'm scared, nervous, and stressed out at the moment. Any advice would be very helpful...

Thank you for again for your reply.

 

[zddoodah]

She told me she was 17, and turning 18 in the coming year. Little did I know she was actually 11. I know you might ask yourself how I couldn't tell that she was 11. I took her word for it. She looked young, but not so young that I would think twice about her age. When I meet someone I don't meet up with the suspicion that they are lying to me... I just spoke with detectives that came to my house to explain the situation. She said she attended a high school in the area as well. She gave me her address and we went over to Denny's for a late night snack.

Sorry, but it's unfathomable that you could meet an 11-year old in person and reasonably believe she was 17. No one's going to believe that.

I have no idea what to do as of now.

For starters, don't post about this on public forums, and don't talk to anyone other than an attorney (which isn't to say that I think you need to consult with an attorney at this point).

I don't know if I should let my parents know

That's up to you. Just be aware that anything you discuss with anyone other than a lawyer or a priest (there are a few others that probably aren't relevant) potentially could be used against you if any criminal prosecution occurs.

 

[sharpie12345]

Sorry, but it's unfathomable that you could meet an 11-year old in person and reasonably believe she was 17. No one's going to believe that.



For starters, don't post about this on public forums, and don't talk to anyone other than an attorney (which isn't to say that I think you need to consult with an attorney at this point).



That's up to you. Just be aware that anything you discuss with anyone other than a lawyer or a priest (there are a few others that probably aren't relevant) potentially could be used against you if any criminal prosecution occurs.

So asking about it on here with strangers is a bad idea?

And sorry - but to clarify you think I should get an attorney, right?

 

[mightymoose]

Instead, one of the detectives suggested I write a letter and that she would be able to deliver the letter to him for me. Thank you again for your reply.

You don't get it.
The detectives are not trying to help you.
Stop trying to fix this. Talk to nobody about this.
Anything you say, or write, can be used against you.
Leave this whole issue in the past, move on, and hope that it never catches back up to you.

 

[sharpie12345]

You don't get it.
The detectives are not trying to help you.
Stop trying to fix this. Talk to nobody about this.
Anything you say, or write, can be used against you.
Leave this whole issue in the past, move on, and hope that it never catches back up to you.

I see. Clear as day now. Next time if they come I will invoke my right to remain silent, thank you for the help.

 

[zddoodah]

Are you saying that it has to be proven that I knew she was 11?

As you've described the situation, nothing illegal happened, but other people may be telling very different stories.

To the OP - you do realize the age of consent in Arizona is 18 right? So either way what you did is illegal even if she had been 17.

I disagree. Nothing the OP described was illegal, regardless of the girl's age.

 

[zddoodah]

Yes, I knew that she was "17",

This contradicts what you wrote in your original post.

So asking about it on here with strangers is a bad idea?

Nothing you wrote is incriminating, but the level of detail used was a bit much. It also would have been better if you had phrased this all in the third-person, but what's done is done.

And sorry - but to clarify you think I should get an attorney, right?

I do not think that. Seems premature at this point. What you do need to do is become far more discerning about meeting up with people who randomly contact you online. You're also at a difficult age. You're just barely older than the "age of consent" yourself, so girls who are under 18 are reasonably within your range of interest, but going to far may be illegal (I haven't looked up the specifics of AZ law on this issue). You need to be very careful. Stopping any involvement with illegal drugs and paraphernalia would also be a really good idea.

 

[sharpie12345]

This contradicts what you wrote in your original post.



Nothing you wrote is incriminating, but the level of detail used was a bit much. It also would have been better if you had phrased this all in the third-person, but what's done is done.



I do not think that. Seems premature at this point. What you do need to do is become far more discerning about meeting up with people who randomly contact you online. You're also at a difficult age. You're just barely older than the "age of consent" yourself, so girls who are under 18 are reasonably within your range of interest, but going to far may be illegal (I haven't looked up the specifics of AZ law on this issue). You need to be very careful. Stopping any involvement with illegal drugs and paraphernalia would also be a really good idea.

In my original post I said that she told me she was 17, and that's what I had believed up until yesterday when the detectives came to my house. Sorry - I'm not sure what I am contradicting...

I used detail because I wanted to get legitimate advice from people. And so far it's been very helpful and I'm getting my head around the situation I'm in.

Also - I don't use drugs at all.

Would it hurt to have a consultation with an attorney at this point in time?

Thank you for replies, zddoodah.

 

[mightymoose]

I did not have any direct contact of her genitalia nor did she with me. We had our clothes on the entire time as well.

This is the worst of it, and yes, it was very illegal.
It wasn't mentioned, but I'd bet there were photos shared via text message, and that the text content itself is damaging.

 

[mightymoose]

Would it hurt to have a consultation with an attorney at this point in time

It would not hurt, but it isn't really necessary yet so long as you know to not say anything further about this without legal counsel present.

 

[mightymoose]

Here is a handy brochure from Maricopa County. The law is the same throughout the state.
Look closely at #3 and #6 and the potential penalty due to her age.
This should drive home the need for you to stop talking about this with anyone but an attorney, but I still say you don't NEED one just yet. If they return with a warrant and you are arrested you just keep quiet until you have representation.

 

[sharpie12345]

This is the worst of it, and yes, it was very illegal.
It wasn't mentioned, but I'd bet there were photos shared via text message, and that the text content itself is damaging.

I appreciate the help, moose.
How is it illegal if all we did is kiss and that was the entire extent of it? Sorry - I'm not really following. I included that part to emphasize that we did not do any "funny business". And believe it or not, but we didn't send each other any pictures that would get us in trouble. Just selfies.

I know that the detectives said that they would probably have an update within 5-6 months. Is that something you can agree with? I understand now that they have no obligation to help me with anything, but would they have lied about something like that?

Okay - I will keep quiet. Thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate it.