We provide specialized winterization services to safeguard your pool during the off-season, and when spring arrives, we handle the thorough opening process.
We provide specialized winterization services to safeguard your pool during the off-season, and when spring arrives, we handle the thorough opening process.
Sex abuse allegations are serious criminal accusations that carry severe penalties and long-term consequences. These cases often involve highly emotional circumstances, delayed reporting, and credibility-based evidence rather than physical proof.
An accusation alone can have immediate and devastating effects on a person’s family, employment, and reputation. Missouri prosecutes sex abuse cases aggressively, and early legal representation is critical.
Sex abuse cases frequently hinge on statements, interpretations of conduct, and how investigators frame the allegations. Early decisions made by law enforcement and prosecutors often shape the entire case.
Attorney Thomas Kissell has handled serious felony sex offense cases across Missouri, including allegations involving sexual abuse. His experience includes early investigation-phase intervention, aggressive statutory analysis, and litigation of complex credibility and evidentiary issues.
Prosecutors and investigators know which attorneys are prepared to challenge these cases from the beginning. That matters.
Sex abuse allegations are often shaped before an arrest is ever made.
Investigators interview witnesses early. Statements are memorialized early. Once a narrative is set, reversing course becomes extremely difficult.
In many sex abuse cases:
This is the stage where effective defense work has the greatest impact.
Early retention allows defense counsel to:
In sex abuse cases, early defense can mean the difference between no charges, reduced charges, or felony prosecution.
Missouri law defines sex abuse based on sexual contact, not sexual intercourse or penetration. These charges often overlap factually with other sex offenses, but they are legally distinct and carry different elements and penalties.
Sex abuse offenses are divided into:
Understanding the statutory distinction is critical.
Missouri Revised Statute 566.100 defines Sex Abuse in the First Degree.
A person commits this offense if he or she subjects another person to sexual contact:
Sex abuse in the first degree is a serious felony offense.
Possible penalties include:
Missouri Revised Statute 566.101 defines Sex Abuse in the Second Degree.
A person commits this offense if he or she subjects another person to sexual contact knowing that the person does so without the other person’s consent.
Although classified as a misdemeanor, the consequences can still be significant.
Consent is often the central issue in sex abuse prosecutions. Missouri law recognizes that consent may be legally invalid in certain circumstances.
Consent may be challenged based on allegations of:
These cases frequently turn on credibility rather than physical evidence.
Sex abuse cases commonly involve:
An allegation is not proof. The state must still establish every statutory element beyond a reasonable doubt.
Even misdemeanor and lower-level felony sex abuse charges can result in:
The impact often begins immediately after an allegation is made.
There is no one-size-fits-all defense. Effective representation requires early involvement and aggressive statutory analysis.
Defense strategies may include:
Preparation matters.
If you are under investigation or have been charged:
Early mistakes in sex abuse cases are often irreversible.
Attorney Thomas Kissell of Kissell Law Group has handled thousands of criminal cases across Missouri, including serious felony sex offense allegations.
If you are under investigation, have been contacted by police, or fear allegations may be coming, time matters.
All consultations are confidential and judgment-free.
Contact Kissell Law Group today to protect your future.