Why People Make False Accusations of Sex Crimes Involving Children

There are few crimes as heinous as sexual conduct with a child. A mere rumor that you may have sexually assaulted a child or possessed child pornography can ruin your career, distance you from family and friends, and lead to criminal charges. Given the significant and immediate effect allegations of a sex crime involving children can have, individuals acting with ill-intent may try use these accusations to their advantage or to hurt you.

If you are in the midst of false accusations regarding sex crimes involving children, you may want to know why someone has lied about you. You may want to know for your own reasons, however, understanding your accuser’s motives can also help you mount an effective defense.

To learn about what to do in the face of child sex crime accusations, call The Law Offices of Ned Barnett at (713) 222-6767 and schedule a consultation with a Houston child sex abuse lawyer.

Reasons for False Accusations of Sex Crimes Involving Children

There are times when it is impossible to determine why someone has accused you of a crime. It may feel random and wrong. However, there may be a clear motivation behind someone’s allegations. Common reasons why people make false accusations of sex crimes involving children include:

They believe them to be true.
You may be fully aware that you never committed a sex crime against a child. Someone else may have simply misinterpreted what they saw or heard. A child may make false accusations against you because the conduct that did occur, but was perpetuated by someone else. Children, particularly when they are young, can become confused or coached by the perpetrator to accuse someone.

They want to ruin your personal and/or professional reputation.
Personal and professional acquaintances may want to ruin your reputation for various reasons. A co-worker or business rival may want you fired, put out of business, or out of the running for funding and investments. A friend of a friend may want you pushed out of a shared social circle.

They want revenge.
If someone believes you wronged them, such as an ex romantic partner, they may devise a way to cause you significant harm.

They commit blackmail/extortion.
A person may attempt to use the threat of false accusations in order to gain something from you. If you do not give in, the other person may keep their threat and make false accusations to an authority figure above you.

They want to gain favor in a divorce.
Your soon-to-be ex-spouse may accuse you of sexual misconduct with a child in order to make you look bad during a divorce. Such accusations can tarnish your reputation in front of the judge who is then tasked with making significant decisions, such as dividing the marital estate and granting alimony.

They want full child custody.
When you share a child with another person whom you are not in a relationship with, custody disputes can become contentious. The other parent may use criminal accusations as a way to obtain full custody of your child.

A child may want to escape your custody.
If your son or daughter made the allegations against you, it may because they want to live outside of your household. They may feel pushed to take extreme measures to be able to live with their other parent or another family member.

They feel coerced.
The individual who made the accusations against you may have been coerced. This is a particular concern when a child raises the allegations.

They were prompted.
Less forceful than coercion, though still concerning, is prompting by an adult to a child. When an adult questions a child regarding suspected misconduct, the questions themselves may influence the child’s answer. Adults can also convince a child that something happened when it never actually occurred.

Have You Been Falsely Accused of a Child Sex Offense?

If someone has wrongly accused you of committing sex crimes involving children, the best way to help yourself is to hire an experienced and aggressive attorney. At The Law Offices of Ned Barnett, we have years of experience handling cases involving sexual offenses involving children, and have seen many false accusations. We will thoroughly review your circumstances and build you the strongest defense possible. Contact us online or call (713) 222-6767 to schedule a free consultation.