Sex-crime accusations carry a unique stigma, even before a single piece of evidence is tested in court. When you are under investigation or have already been charged in Pontiac or elsewhere in Oakland County, every decision, from your first police interview to pre-trial motions, can alter the course of your life. Our Pontiac, MI sex crimes defense lawyers draw on the unmatched insight of attorneys Nicole Blank Becker and Christopher Coyle, both former Chiefs of the Sex Crimes Unit in the Macomb and Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, to position our clients for the best possible outcome.
Years spent training detectives, vetting warrants, and trying high-profile sex-crime cases from the other side of the aisle give Nicole and Christopher a 360-degree view of how prosecutors build (and where they overreach on) criminal sexual conduct (CSC), child pornography, internet solicitation, and human-trafficking prosecutions. That insider perspective is now yours. We are aware of the precise pressure points that persuade charging attorneys to dismiss or reduce charges, the weaknesses that can exclude tainted digital evidence, and the arguments that resonate with Oakland County juries.
Michigan Sex-Crime Charges We Defend
Pontiac police and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office routinely refer felony sex-crime cases to the 50th District Court for arraignment before they are bound over to the 6th Circuit Court in Pontiac for trial. Below is a snapshot of the charges we handle every day at Blank Law, PC:
- Criminal Sexual Conduct First Degree (MCL 750.520b): Sexual penetration involving force, a weapon, or a victim under 13; punishable by up to life imprisonment.
- CSC Second Degree (MCL 750.520c): Sexual contact with aggravating factors such as injury or a victim under 13; 15-year felony.
- CSC Third Degree (MCL 750.520d): Penetration with a victim aged 13-15 or using coercion; 15-year felony.
- CSC Fourth Degree (MCL 750.520e): Sexual contact without consent or with a victim aged 13-15; 2-year high-court misdemeanor.
- Child Sexually Abusive Material (MCL 750.145c): Possession, manufacturing, or distribution of child pornography; penalties range from 4 to 20 years depending on the offense.
- Accosting, Enticing, or Soliciting a Minor (MCL 750.145a) and Internet/Social-Media Solicitation under the Computer Crimes statutes.
- Human Trafficking for Commercial Sexual Activity (MCL 750.462).
- Failure to Comply with Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA) requirements.
Penalties Go Far Beyond Prison
A felony conviction can result in years or a life sentence in Michigan Department of Corrections custody. Yet the hidden fallout often proves even harsher:
- Mandatory Sex Offender Registration (Public Act 295 of 2021 and subsequent federal rulings). A February 2025 federal decision struck down key SORA provisions as unconstitutional, but the registry remains in flux and still ensnares thousands of Pontiac residents. Staying abreast of the evolving SORA landscape is crucial to crafting an effective defense.
- GPS tethering, residency, and employment exclusion zones can make everyday life impossible.
- Loss of professional licenses, federal student aid, firearm rights, and immigration status.
- Lifetime parole or electronic monitoring after release in the most serious cases.
Our mission is to stop the domino effect before the first tile falls.
Recent Legal Developments That Could Affect Your Case
Michigan lawmakers and federal courts have reshaped sex-crime procedure in the last 18 months.
Our Pontiac, MI sex crime defense lawyers track every appellate opinion, legislative tweak, and administrative rule, ensuring your defense strategy reflects the law as it exists today, not as it was in the past.
How Sex-Crime Cases Move Through Pontiac Courts
- Investigation and Warrant Request
Detectives present a warrant package to an Oakland County assistant prosecutor, often including recorded interviews from a child advocacy center or police-controlled online chat logs. Nicole and Christopher once reviewed these very packets as prosecutors; we know where shortcuts are taken.
- Arraignment in 50th District Court (47045 Woodward Ave., Pontiac).
Bail and bond conditions, as well as restrictions on internet access and contact with minors, are set within 24 hours. Early intervention can mean the difference between home confinement and jail while your case is pending.
- Probable-Cause Conference and Preliminary Examination
Cross-examining the lead detective can expose shaky photo lineups or manipulated chat transcripts, sometimes convincing the judge to dismiss charges before they reach Circuit Court.
- Trial in the 6th Circuit Court (1200 N. Telegraph Rd.).
The Circuit Court’s Criminal Division handles all felony sex crime jury trials for Pontiac.
Strategic Defenses Tailored to Sex-Crime Allegations
Every case is unique, but common defense themes include:
- Consent and Relationship Context in Adult-on-Adult Allegations.
- Forensic Challenges to DNA mixtures, touch DNA, or Y-STR testing, mainly when law enforcement relies on Michigan State Police lab “inference statistics” rather than direct matches.
- Digital-Evidence Suppression for child pornography or online solicitation cases, attacking warrant overbreadth or corrupted metadata.
- Psychological and Memory Science to explain suggestibility in child interviews or the unreliability of delayed-disclosure statements.
- False-Allegation Motives, such as custody disputes, academic discipline, or immigration status pressures.
Our background in prosecutorial evidence protocols enables us to identify missteps that some defense lawyers often overlook.
Nicole Blank Becker & Christopher Coyle: Prosecutors Turned Defenders
Nicole spent over a decade prosecuting Wayne and Macomb County’s most sensitive sex-crime and child-abuse cases, ultimately leading the entire Sex Crimes Unit. Christopher followed the same path, rising to Deputy Chief in Wayne County and training line prosecutors and detectives throughout the state. Together, they have tried thousands of CSC and child-pornography cases, from preliminary exam through jury verdict, earning a reputation for firm but fair trial advocacy.
Today, that institutional knowledge powers Blank Law, PC’s defense strategies:
- Pre-Charge Intervention. A well-crafted approach to intervening in the Investigative stage, before any charges are filed, can sometimes prevent a warrant from being issued at all.
- Selective Forensic Re-Testing. We are aware of which private labs offer more accurate STRmix or probabilistic genotyping reports than the state lab.
- Credibility Audits of Complainant Interviews. Our team cross-references transcript inconsistencies against school records, social-media posts, and geolocation data.
When former Sex Crimes Unit Chiefs walk into the same courthouse they once commanded, now advocating for the accused, prosecutors take notice.
Sex-crime allegations often ripple outward, threatening careers at GM’s Orion Assembly Plant, teaching certificates at the Pontiac School District, or professional licenses for healthcare workers at Trinity Health Oakland Hospital. This is why our sex crime lawyers in Pontiac, MI, coordinate with employment counsel, licensed counselors, and reputation-management specialists to protect every aspect of your life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I have to register as a sex offender if I accept a plea?
Not always. Certain pleas reduce or avoid registration, especially given the recent federal ruling striking down parts of SORA. A tailored plea to a non-registerable offense can preserve your future.
Can I seal my record if charges are dismissed?
Michigan law permits immediate expungement of a case dismissed “on the merits” or after a not-guilty verdict. We can file those petitions as soon as the dismissal order is signed.
What if the accusation is based solely on text messages?
Digital evidence is prone to spoofing, cloning, or metadata tampering. Our forensic experts and former cybercrime prosecutors identify authentication gaps that can exclude the messages.
Our Step-by-Step Approach
- Immediate Confidential Consultation. No-cost, judgment-free assessment available 24/7.
- Independent Investigation. We interview witnesses, the police ignore them, and secure surveillance footage before it is overwritten.
- Comprehensive Motion Practice. Suppress illegally seized electronics, challenge weak expert testimony, and move to dismiss based on other precedent.
- Trial-Ready Preparation. Even when a negotiated resolution is likely, preparing for trial keeps leverage on the prosecution.
- Post-Trial Relief and Registry Counseling. If conviction is unavoidable, we pursue sentencing-mitigation packages and registry-removal petitions when eligible.
If you or a loved one faces a sex crime investigation or charge in Pontiac, every second counts. Early involvement by a defense team that once led the very unit now prosecuting you can mean the difference between freedom and decades behind bars. Contact Blank Law, PC fill out our confidential online form to schedule a free consultation.
Blank Law, PC
Aggressive Pontiac sex crimes defense
Phone: (248) 515-6583 | Available 24/7 for emergencies