Law Office of James D. Owen, LLC

You might not be familiar with the term doxing, but you might already be a victim of a doxer. Doxing involves compiling Personally Identifiable Information (PII) about a person and disclosing that information publicly. Even though there are no specific federal or state laws that make doxing illegal, doxing can get you arrested for related crimes. Why Do People Engage in Doxing? According to the Department of Homeland Security, the reasons for doxing include: Stalking Harassment Humiliation Identity theft Many cases of doxing involve personal reasons. For instance, a person might release your personal information to get you fired from your job or embarrass you with family and friends. An…

If you or a loved one is facing or threatened with a charge of Gross Sexual Imposition in Ohio, then you need to know as much as you can about both the charge and potential penalties and contact a sex crime attorney in Columbus. Let’s start with Ohio’s definition of the crime of Gross Sexual Imposition. In Ohio, under Ohio Revised Code Section 2907.05(A), a person commits the crime of Gross Sexual Imposition by touching another person’s genitals, thigh, pubic region, or female breast for the purpose of sexual gratification but only if it is done in one of three ways: When the touching is done through force or threat…

When you think about having sex in a car, you may think about teenagers trying to find a little privacy. However, adults are also guilty of using a car to find a little privacy to engage in sexual relations with another person. Before you and your partner decide it might be exciting to have sex in a car in Ohio, you may want to think carefully. There are many instances in which having sex in a car could result in very severe sex crime charges. In general, whether or not you can be arrested depends on the facts and circumstances of your case. The most likely situation that could result…

Ohio Revised Code Section 2907.06, defines the criminal offense of “Sexual Imposition” as “sexual contact,”  which is defined a touching of another person’s erogenous area.  For further clarity, erogenous areas constitute the thigh, genitals, buttocks, pubic region, or female breast. What is a “Sexual Imposition” Charge? Consequently, one of the following five circumstances must apply to the charge of “Sexual Imposition.” (1) The alleged offender knows the sexual touching is offensive to the accuser, or is reckless in that regard; (2) The alleged offender knows the accuser is substantially impaired by drugs or alcohol, and as a result is unable to understand, control or object to the touching. (For instance, this…

What is the Age of Consent in Ohio? In the state of Ohio, the age of consent for sexual activity is 16 years of age. This means that no one under the age of 16 can provide legal consent to have sex. Even if that person (or those people) want to have sex, it’s against the law for them to do so. In Ohio, if you have sex with someone who is under the age of consent, you can face serious criminal charges. And, if you have sex with someon who is sixteen or older and you are over the age of eighteen, you could also be charged with a…

What we can learn from cases where defendants are charged with a sex crime?   Even in Columbus, Ohio criminal defense lawyers can learn from accusations of sexual misconduct lodged earlier this week against Darren Sanders, the NFL Baltimore Raven’s chief of security. A criminal complaint filed earlier this week in Baltimore, Maryland alleges he repeatedly groped a 34-year-old woman’s buttocks as they walked down a hallway, and then “pressed his body against her’s and kissed her neck and attempted to force her to grab his (genitals).” If this occurred in Columbus, the allegations against Saunders could be charged as either: (1) Sexual Imposition, an Ohio sex crime involving the touching…

What is Voyeurism? “Voyeurism” is an Ohio criminal offense that, depending on the circumstances, can be classified as either a misdemeanor or felony crime.  Ohio’s Voyeurism statute generally prohibits a person from trespassing or secretly invading the privacy of another to spy or listen for the benefit of the trespasser’s sexual pleasure or arousal. (See Section 2907.08 of the Ohio Revised Code). If you were involved in a Voyeurism case you need an experienced sex crime attorney. Ohio’s Voyeurism Statute Ohio’s Voyeurism statute requires the state to prove specific intent. This means that the prosecutor must beyond a reasonable doubt that offender’s actions were done for the specific purpose of…

Last November, John C. Kelly, a prominent Morgan Stanley investment manager was arrested for secretly videotaping his sexual encounters with three unrelated women in his E. 69th St. Upper East Side Manhattan apartment between September 2011 and December 2012. Mr. Kelly was charged with three felony counts of unlawful surveillance in the second degree, carrying a potential maximum sentence of up to 12 years in prison. Last week an attorney for one of the victims said the secretly recorded videos were posted on internet sites, causing her severe emotional distress. Mr. Kelly is accused of secretly recording the three women performing sexual acts on him. However, at arraignment last week,…

In Ohio, the crimes of “Gross Sexual Imposition” and “Sexual Imposition” both involve touching (“Sexual Contact”) as opposed to actual sex (“Sexual Conduct”). Specifically, under Ohio law, “Sexual Contact” means one person touched another person’s erogenous zone, and did it for the purpose of sexual gratification. An “erogenous zone” includes a person’s thigh, genitals, buttock, public region, or female breast. In other words, it is not necessary to have sex with another person to have “sexual contact.” Rather the mere touching of another person’s erogenous zone is sufficient, if it is done for the purpose of sexual gratification. Ohio’s “Gross Sexual Imposition” statute criminalizes a more serious form of touching,…

Lawyers from our Columbus law firm have defended many men accused of the crime of Rape throughout Ohio. The Ohio Revised Code outlines the four situations in which a person can be found guilty of rape: (1) The suspect uses force or threat of force to compel the other to have sex (See Ohio Revised Code Section 2907.02(B)); (2) The suspect has sex with another and secretly uses a drug or intoxicant to prevent the other from resisting (See Ohio Revised Code Section 2907.02(A)(1)(a)); (3) The offender has sex with another whose ability to consent or resist is substantially impaired due to a mental or physical condition (See Ohio Revised…