What is Meeting a Child For Lewd Purposes (Penal Code
Meeting a child for lewd purposes conjures up the image of a grown man preying upon a teenage girl who is naively curious about sex. Dateline NBC famously ran a series wherein dozens of men, often married and with careers, were caught on tape bringing flowers and chocolate to a home, only to be confronted by Stone Phillips of NBC on camera, to their great humiliation and shame. The men were characterized as “predators.”
Our office has represented many clients in similar circumstances. Usually, our client strikes up a conversation online with a police decoy posing as a thirteen year old in search of adventure. The police decoy very clearly explains her age and our client acknowledges her age, sometimes even asking for pictures.
The decoy then expresses anxiety about getting pregnant, having her parents discover her new “boyfriend,” and whether the sex will be unpleasant. The entire conversation is recorded.
The police decoy then suggests a meeting, perhaps at a local Taco Bell or Barnes & Noble, and our client agrees. The client then goes to the location, often with condoms. He is then met by plain-clothes police who arrest him. The client often never sees the decoy.
Our client’s conduct certainly may be a violation of Penal Code
