Internet Sex Crimes Defense Attorney Grand Rapids

Short answer: Internet sex crimes in Michigan are charged under statutes including MCL 750.145a (accosting or soliciting a minor) and MCL 750.145d (using a computer or the internet to commit a crime). Many begin with a police sting in which no actual minor ever existed, and they turn on intent, entrapment, and what the messages really say.

How These Cases Usually Start

The pattern is consistent. An officer creates a profile on a dating app or social platform, presents as an adult, and only later claims to be underage. Conversations run for days or weeks. A meeting is arranged. The arrest happens at the meeting point, often in a Kent County suburb and often as part of a multi-agency operation.

There is rarely a real minor. That does not prevent prosecution — Michigan law allows charges where the accused believed the other person was a minor — but it shapes the defence, because everything the prosecution has is a text record that an officer wrote half of.

The Statutes Involved

MCL 750.145a — accosting, enticing, or soliciting a child for immoral purposes. A felony punishable by up to 4 years, or up to 10 years for a second or subsequent offence under MCL 750.145b.

MCL 750.145d — using a computer or the internet to communicate with another person for the purpose of committing certain crimes. This stacks on top of the underlying offence and its penalty scales with the severity of that offence.

MCL 750.145c — child sexually abusive material. If images were sent or received this frequently accompanies a sting case, and it is far more serious than the solicitation count.

Because MCL 750.145d is a separate offence from the conduct it facilitates, defendants are commonly charged with two or more counts arising from a single conversation.

Entrapment Is a Real Defence in Michigan

Michigan applies an objective entrapment standard. The question is not whether this particular defendant was predisposed — it is whether the police conduct would have induced a law-abiding person to commit the offence, or whether the police engaged in reprehensible conduct.

That matters enormously in sting cases, where officers sometimes initiate contact, escalate the sexual content, brush aside hesitation, or repeatedly re-engage someone who tried to disengage. Entrapment in Michigan is decided by the judge at an evidentiary hearing rather than by the jury, which means a well-prepared motion can end a case before trial.

The full chat log is the heart of it. Prosecutors summarise; I read every line, in order, with timestamps. Who raised the subject of age. Who raised sex. Who pushed when the other hesitated. That record wins or loses these cases.

Other Defences That Work

Beyond entrapment, the recurring issues are:

Intent. Fantasy role-play between adults on an adult platform is not a crime. The prosecution must prove the accused actually intended to meet a child for a sexual purpose.
Belief about age. Where the profile stated an adult age and the minor claim came late and ambiguously, belief is genuinely contested.
Device and search issues. Phone and computer searches require valid warrants of proper scope. Overbroad warrants and unlawful seizures get evidence suppressed.
Attribution. The prosecution must tie the account and the device to your hands. Shared computers, shared households, and unsecured networks complicate that.

Internet Sex Crimes and Sting Operations in Michigan — Frequently Asked Questions

Can I be charged if there was no real child?

Yes. Michigan permits prosecution where the accused believed the other person was a minor, even when the account was operated by an adult officer. The absence of a real child still matters to the defence and to sentencing.

Is entrapment a defence in Michigan sting cases?

Yes. Michigan uses an objective test, asking whether police conduct would have induced a law-abiding person to offend or was reprehensible. It is decided by the judge at a pretrial hearing, so a strong motion can resolve the case before trial.

What is the penalty for soliciting a minor online?

Accosting or soliciting a child under MCL 750.145a is a felony carrying up to 4 years, and up to 10 years for a repeat offence. Additional counts under MCL 750.145d for using a computer usually accompany it.

Will I have to register as a sex offender?

Most internet sex offences involving a minor are registrable. Which tier applies depends on the specific conviction, which is one reason the charge you resolve to matters more than almost anything else.

Police took my phone and computer. Can they do that?

Only with a valid warrant of proper scope, or a recognised exception. Overbroad warrants and unlawful seizures happen frequently in these cases and can result in the evidence being thrown out.

What should I do if police want to talk to me?

Do not talk to them and do not consent to a search of your devices. Call me at 616-438-6719. In sting cases the post-arrest interview is often what converts a defensible case into an indefensible one.

Talk to Me Before You Talk to Anyone Else

If you are under investigation or have been charged, the decisions you make in the first days matter more than almost anything that happens later. Do not speak to police, do not contact the complainant, and do not delete anything. Call me at 616-438-6719 — the consultation is free and I answer 24/7, across Kent, Ottawa, Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Muskegon, Newaygo and Van Buren counties.

Internet Sex Crimes and Sting Operations in Michigan