One man got more than he bargained for when he planted a camera in a women's bathroom. According to the news, the 40-year-old man was enrolled in a university in another country. He decided to hide a camera in the women's bathroom. So, he cut holes in an empty orange juice carton, stuck a smart phone inside, and left it in the bathroom. A person cleaning the bathroom discovered the camera, and turned in over to the police. The police charged the phone's battery, and found the camera had recorded three women, and the man who had planted the camera. Apparently, he had switched on the camera, planted it, and then recorded video of himself leaving the bathroom. Oops. If this incident had happened in Denver, Arapahoe, or Douglas County, or anywhere in Colorado, the man would be charged with Invasion of Privacy for Sexual Gratification. Let's take a closer look at this sex offense to better understand how it is charged.

What is Invasion of Privacy for Sexual Gratification?

Invasion of Privacy for Sexual Gratification – C.R.S. 18-3-405.6, is charged in Adams, El Paso, and Jefferson County when a person:

…knowingly observes or takes a photograph of another person's intimate parts without that person's consent, in a situation where the person observed or photographed has a reasonable expectation of privacy, for the purpose of the observer's own sexual gratification.

Invasion of Privacy for Sexual Gratification ranges from a class 1 misdemeanor up to a class six felony. The level of severity depends on a couple of factors, such as whether or not you have a previous conviction for an unlawful sexual behavior crime, or if the photographs were of a person under the age of 15. Either way, this crime is an extraordinary risk crime (which increases the sentencing range), and a sex offense.

Why You Need a Lawyer for Sex Offense Charges

If you've been charged with a sex offense, you need to contact a knowledgeable criminal defense lawyer immediately. This is because a sex offense conviction has even harsher consequences than a jail or prison term. These include:

• Sex Offender Registration: People convicted of a sex offense in the state of Colorado are required to register as a sex offender. This has an enormous impact on your life. It will limit the jobs you have, and the place you can live and visit.
• Sex Offender Treatment: People convicted of a sex offense will be required to go through sex offender treatment overseen by the Sex Offender Management Board. This treatment is harsh and one-size-fits all.

Avoiding a sex offense conviction is important for your future. Working with an affordable criminal defense attorney is essential. Here at the O'Malley Law Office, we fight hard for the rights of our clients. Often, we are able to work out favorable plea deals that allow you avoid registering as a sex offender and completing sex offender treatment. Don't plead guilty to avoid jail time and suffer long-term consequences.

If you or a loved one has been charged with Invasion of Privacy for Sexual Gratification like the man who planted the camera in the bathroom, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact an experienced criminal defense attorney at the O'Malley Law Office for a free consultation at
303-830-0880. Together, we can protect your future.