Of all the crimes out there, those involving children are considered among the most reprehensible to society. This is why people accused of crimes related to child pornography or child molestation need a strong and thorough defense -- no one condones these crimes, of course, but we shouldn't condone wrongful convictions or miscarriages of justice, either.
What brings this all to mind was the recent news that a Thermal man was arrested on Friday, Sept. 26 on suspicion of child molestation.
According to a news release from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, authorities received a report of a "past child molestation incident" in the 5400 or 5500 block of Shady Lane in Thermal.
Acting on this information, they arrested the 42-year-old man. He is now being held in a jail in Indio in lieu of $1 million bail. (You read that right -- $1 million.)
As we said earlier, there is no excuse for victimizing children. That being said, we take allegations of harming children so seriously that we sometimes forget they are mere allegations and nothing has been proven.
This man is as deserving of a defense and a day in court as is any other person accused of a crime.
From our office near the Southwest Detention Center, we help citizens of Hemet, Riverside, Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore, Perris, Banning, Corona, Winchester and other Riverside County communities after they have been accused of committing crimes, including DUI and juvenile matters. Clients work directly with an attorney, never a paralegal or intake specialist.
If you think you need to speak to a criminal defense attorney, please do not hesitate to contact us.