What Acts of Indecency ?

An indecent act is one which right minded persons would consider to be contrary to community standards of decency.
Some examples of Acts of Indecency may include

  • Exposing yourself in front of a child or in public;
  • Sexting a naked photo of yourself to another person; or
  • Pretending to perform a sexual act on another person.

Case law/Jurisdiction
An offence of Acts of indecency is what is known as a “Table 2” offence which means it is to be dealt with in the Local Court unless an election is it is to be dealt with on indictment by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

What must the prosecution prove?

Since acts of indecency  is a criminal offence, the burden of proof lies on the prosecution.
The prosecution must prove the accused’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
That is a high standard of proof that the prosecution must achieve before someone can be convicted of acts of indecency .
To establish acts of indecency  the prosecution must prove each of the following matters beyond reasonable doubt:

  • That you did an act which was indecent or that you incited another person to do the act;
  • That the act was done towards another person; and
  • That the person was under 16 years of age.

To convict you of the offence of act of indecency against a person over 16 years of age, the prosecution must prove each of the following matters beyond reasonable doubt:

  • That you did an act which was indecent or that you incited another person to do the act;
  • That the act was done towards another person;
  • That the person did not consent; and
  • That the person was over 16 years of age.

The Law

The Law in relation to Acts of Indecency  is found in section 61N Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) which states;

(1) Any person who commits an act of indecency towards a person under the age of 16 years, or incites a person under that age to an act of indecency is liable to imprisonment for 2 years.

(2) Any person who commits an act of indecency with or towards a person of the age of 16 years or above, or incites a person of the age of 16 years or above to an act of indecency with or towards that or another person, is liable to imprisonment for 18 months.

If you are charged with the offence of Acts of Indecency what are your options?

National Criminal Lawyers have been successful in defending a number of acts of indecency  charges where the prosecution could not establish each of the elements offence. We have also achieved a number of non-convictions for acts of indecency .

NCL offer the following options for those who have been charged with acts of indecency :

  1. We will negotiate with prosecutors (police or DPP) (a term referred to as “plea negotiations”) to request that the charge is withdrawn, downgraded or fact sheets amended;
  2. NCL will plead not guilty and go to hearing/trial and persuade the Court that prosecution has not proven its case beyond reasonable doubt;
  3. Plead guilty to the elements of the charge and then dispute the facts (at a special “disputed facts” hearing) with the view of having you sentenced less harshly; and/or
  4. Plead guilty with full acceptance of the facts as set out by the police and make strong submissions on your behalf requesting that the Court not record a criminal conviction.

Fequently Asked Questions

Why National Criminal Lawyers?

There are three reasons to choose National Criminal Lawyers:

1. Your best chance to get the result you’re after

We are the experts in either beating or having criminal charges withdrawn AND/OR obtaining the least restrictive penalty available. This is because no matter which option you choose within our tailored Options at Law you will be dealing with experienced criminal lawyers who can make sure the evidence is not only obtained properly but also that your case is prepared and presented to the highest best practice standards possible. This is also done without breaking your pocket.

2. How a Senior Defence Lawyer Can Help You Deal With Criminal Charges

No matter which option at law you choose, National Criminal Lawyers can guarantee that a Senior Defence Lawyer will represent you. This means that with our over 25 years of Combined criminal law experience you will get the best result possible.

3. National Criminal Lawyers are the best defenders of your rights

At National Criminal Lawyers we know that Criminal Law is a matter of Human Rights. For this reason, we take pride and passion in representing our clients. This pride and passion to assist those charged with an alleged or actual breach of the criminal law is to us a matter of righteous necessity and in that sense, you can always rest assured that National Criminal Lawyers are the best defenders of your rights. This true not only when the police have just simply got it wrong OR if they have got it right then we can speak with you and make sure you get you the best result available.

If you have been charged with any Acts of Indecency  offence our Team and National Criminal Lawyers are well versed and specialists in having charges either withdrawn and otherwise achieving favourable outcomes.

Please contact our office on 02 9893 1889 or visit www.nationalcriminallawyers.com.au for more information about your options.

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