Texting stings are rampant – Fairfax criminal lawyer warns against getting sucked into them

Texting stings are rampant. They constitute easy police work that can be done by law enforcement officers (LEO) with much of the work from the comfort of a desk or armchair while having a snack. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I watch with sadness and marvel at how easily so many people get caught by such stings. Caveat emptor / buyer beware always of dealing with anyone you do not know, anyone who is anonymous, and anyone claiming to be who they may not be. William Bradley Seat to such bait after reading a police officer’s posting seeking a manager on a purported escort website called MegaPersonals. Seat v. Virginia, ___ Va. App. ___ (Sept. 3, 2024).

The person texting with you online may be a cop rather than the person in the displayed picture

On my podcast episode about sex crime defense, I urge people to recognize that the Internet is filled with texting and other imposters, and that the picture of an attractive person seeking to lure a viewer into jailable activities may well be an out-of-shape, unbathed, unattractive police officer. Not wanting to be politically incorrect in that description, my intent is to give everyone a wakeup call that the false sense of anonymity on the Internet is indeed false, and police are constantly monitoring the Internet for those interested in child pornography, interested in soliciting children for sexual activity, and interested in paying for sexual services that are criminal to pay for. Pre-Internet days, the world already was filled with prosecution, conviction and incarceration risks for those seeking to engage in unlawful activities. The Internet exacerbates people’s exposure to prosecutions and convictions.

Resist any temptation to engage in dangerous chatting and flirting

Each week, I receive social media and texting (apparently dialed by robotics) enticements to engage people, to tell them why I am being suggested as a friend to follow on social media, and to call them. Because I am disinterested, I do not respond. If you are interested in this or any other anonymous contacts, clearly do not respond once you know that illegal activities are being offered, and beware of all other anonymous contacts. Even if the anonymous contact is not automatically going to suck you into criminal activity if you allow it, a slew of scammers troll the Internet and beyond, looking to split the proceeds of a fake certified check, to sell you expensive products that will never be delivered, and to sell you products and services that you do not need. The Internet can be used for many beneficial things, but also has a dark side that you do not want to visit.

Your battle is lost or near-lost if you best defense against your prosecution is to testify that you were taking the law into your own hands

Many years ago, a legislator caught redhanded in a bribery sting claimed that he accepted the payment so that he could investigate the matter himself. That would have fooled nobody, particularly when law enforcement would have been delighted to have investigated efforts to bribe a public official. William Seat likely came across as nearly unbelievable when he took the witness stand in his commercial sex trafficking trial, and claimed that he saw the ad for a manager as a texting scam and he was bored. Seat had already been convicted for a felony, which both should have been a wakeup call for him to have over covered risk against another prosecution, and which also meant that the prosecutor was permitted to impeach him with his prior felony conviction during cross examination of Seat.

Don’t blab to the police like a desperate deer caught in the headlights

Repeatedly I see on video and hear on audio the Virginia criminal defendants who spill the beans to the police when caught in the frustrating — and often scary — situation of a police sting when the defendant expected to be having sex with a prostitute or a child they thought they had been texting with. They spill the beans for a number of reasons, whether because they are disoriented by the sudden and unexpected turn of arrested events, and, with people seeking sexual activity with children (and seeking child pornography), many have had their mentality stunted (and therefore are acting with no more foresight than a juvenile) by prior sexual, physical and/or mental abuse as a child. No matter how disoriented or scared you may be when caught or investigated by police, know the benefits of asserting your Fifth Amendment Constitutional right to remain silent with law enforcement, and exercise your Sixth Amendment Constitutional right to obtain a Fairfax or Virginia criminal defense lawyer.

Fairfax criminal lawyer Jonathan Katz has the successful experience, drive, and battle scars to pursue your best defense against Virginia felony, misdemeanor and DUI prosecutions. Until you obtain the right Fairfax or Virginia criminal lawyer for you, the police and prosecutors will always be many dangerous steps ahead of you. Find out the great defense that Jon Katz can deliver to you — and learn vital ideas about your defense — by securing your free in-person strictly confidential initial consultation with Jon about your court-pending prosecution. Usually Jon can see you within a business day of your contacting us at 703-383-1100, info@BeatTheProsecution.com and (texting) 571-406-7268.