The recidivism rate among child molesters is high. The police, once they have evidence of a single molestation event, will then reach out to the families of anyone who was in contact with the defendant to find more victims. This helps them keep the child molester behind bars for as long as they can and ensures that the victims get justice for the violation they suffered.
Police are reaching out to anyone who knows Felix Alvarado of West Palm Beach. Alvarado is suspected of molesting a child under the age of 12. Detectives say that they have reason to believe that there are more victims. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the West Palm Beach 24-hour dispatch center at 561-822-1900.
Child molestation cases
Child molestation cases tend to be very difficult to prosecute. According to one survey conducted by federal authorities, less than one in every five allegations results in criminal charges against the offender. Less than half of the remaining >20% result in either guilty pleas or convictions. Due in large part to the unsuccessful prosecutions of child molesters, federal authorities have conducted a review of these cases to identify potential barriers.
It is an unfortunate fact of child molestation cases (and more broadly, rape cases) that the prosecution relies on witness statements. While rape kits and other evidence can prove useful, adults can consent giving perpetrators a valid defense even when forensics proves that intercourse did occur. For child molestation cases, consent doesn’t matter. A child cannot consent to sex with an adult. So any forensic evidence that proves sexual contact should be usable for prosecution.
Part of the problem, however, is that the children who are molested are targeted because they don’t have strong ties to adult caregivers. The survey showed that children who had the support of their caregivers were more likely to get convictions against molesters. In addition, the involvement of nurses trained in sexual assault response helped prosecutors build cases against molesters. Nonetheless, evidence of the assault that can be gleaned from a rape kit is only present in 5% of cases. The decision to prosecute thus depends on the victim and their willingness to discuss what happened with authorities.
All of these are factors that prosecutors consider before deciding to move forward with a case. The presence of additional victims is often one of the best pieces of evidence that police and prosecutors can present to the court. Hence why police officers often search for additional victims prior to building cases against child molesters. They usually find them too because child molesters act on urges that they fail to control. If they failed to control the urge once, there’s usually no doubt that they failed twice.
Talk to a West Palm Beach Criminal Defense Attorney
If you’ve been charged with a serious crime, call the West Palm Beach criminal attorneys at The Skier Law Firm, P.A. today to discuss the matter and allow us to begin building your defense.
Resource:
wptv.com/news/crime/felix-alvarado-west-palm-beach-man-charged-with-child-molestation