As far as statistics, I believe the court system in your local jurisdiction would have public documents online that give names, crimes, and sentences. Maybe you van google this for your area or call the court clerk. If it's happening in the federal court system, I don't know much about that. Maybe someone else will chime in.

You have plenty to worry yourself sick about, indeed. This is a nightmare. I suggest you find a good counselor for yourself and your children.

I also recommend you join the Loving a Sex Offender subforum at wwwm.prisontalk.com. There are a lot of very kind and very helpful follks over there.

Keep reading and sharing at this forum, too. We need to keep supprting each other.

if your lawyer hasn't brought it up, ask if you can get ajury consultant. they'll help pick thru the jury and weed out ones that might be biased against you, whle helping to find ones that will be sympathetic

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-jury-consultant.htm just a synopsis

We're in the same situation. There are a lot of factors that may call for a harder sentence, but it all really depends on the state and the case itself. Are you taking it to trial? Would an entrapment defense work in your case? Did he actually go and try to meet up? Was there child pornography found? We talked to many lawyers about taking my husband's case to trial, but they all felt that a jury would find him guilty (he admitted during his initial interview that he knew his actions were wrong...he never set up a meeting, they just traced our IP address back to our house over just one single conversation he had, in which he tried to disengage at the beginning when he realized the territory he was entering, yet the cop seemed to lure him back into the conversation, its clear, but every lawyer we've talked to doesn't feel its strong enough for an entrapment defense)...they threw 8 years at him as an initial number...we're awaiting a settlement conference in which we will try to agree on a plea, our lawyer and my husband's counselor both recommended probation, his risk assessment came back low and he passed his polygraph... we are just waiting, hoping and praying that this works out for us.

My husband actually knows the minor. A conversation turned inappropriate and it was a one time thing. I suppose she told a friend who told her to tell her school conselor. The police were called and then a few days later they came to our home to interview me and my husband. The conversation occured on Facebook. The county she lives in was the county who investigated we live in a different county. Social services came to our home to verify our children were safe. The states attorney for that county decided not to procecute so we thought it was over. This was over a year ago. A few weeks ago my husband got a call from the lead investigator who said that he had issued a warrant for his arrest and gave him 4days to turn himself in. So he did so the very next day. My husband spent 3days in jail before his bail hearing (original bail set for 50,000 in the county jail) Bail hearing with our attorney present got bail to 25,000 with only 2,500 paid to court to release him until trial. He is not waiting for what they call a pre-liminary hearing. Not sure what is to happen at this. We have a meeting with the attorney this week. I am a nervous wreck as I don't know what to expect for him. My world will be turned upside down more than it already has been if he serves time. My daughters and I cannot afford to stay in our home and will be forced to move. We are living paycheck to paycheck as it is. Worried about the cost of all these things I hear he will need. Like counceling, a test to see what risk he is, and the polygraph. This is just a nightmare for me. I am paying for something I had no part in. I am glad to have found this place to be able to vent it out.

At least you got a warning...I had the FBI bombard my house and point guns at me while I was in my underwear breast-feeding my 3 week old daughter...and as a fumbled to cover up, they insisted I be searched for weapons.... really? I'm gonna hide a gun on me in my underwear with my daughter latched on to my boob? I really felt like the search warrant was executed totally out of line, but since I was the only witness, it would be me against them. My husband's initial bond was set to 100k, he got it down to 65k by pleading with the judge but it was still too much to pay and we didn't have an attorney yet. He spent 2 months in jail before we could request a bond reduction. We got it down to $8000 so he has been out since then, and settlement is scheduled the 14th. I was so lost when it all happened, we were newly married and new parents, and I had no idea my husband had this problem (he has a pornography/cyber sex addiction which he has had for over 10 years and hid it from me from the get go). His counselor is covered by my insurance, thank goodness, and he attends group therapy (Sex Addicts Anonymous). We also seek counseling from our church, which is no charge and they are more helpful in repairing our marriage than a paid counselor was. Just stay strong for your kids, they need you... I did find a site...pervertedjustice.com I think, its the company that Dateline uses on their To Catch a Predator show, it sort of gives an idea on how people were sentenced. I've come to the conclusion that its all case by case, no one is the same, the sentencing ranges from probation to many years in prison. You've come to the right place to vent, this group has helped me tremendously!

Well this past Friday we met with our attorney to go over what to expect at the Pre-Trial. It was not of anymore comfort to us. We really don't know anymore than we did already. My husband keeps tell me his life is over and he has a feeling he will get the full 10yr sentence over a single conversation and no meeting, touching or anything.

His pre-trial hearing is on the 20th and I am a bundle of nerves. The lawyer did say that a trial could be 6mths out if they decide to indite him.

I am so worried as to when and if this will hit the newspaper or tv media. I worry about how I will deal with that. I am worrying myself sick.

Tonight we have a meeting with a therapist per the lawyers direction so I am also nervous about that. The therapist asked if I would be with my husband. So I will be.

Never in a million years did I think I'd have to deal with this.

First thing I told my husband was to stop being negative. A negative attitude only makes it worse. Bigbear is right, its ALL about money. They will try to scare you into a plea. Pleas are tricky because you can't appeal once you accept, and by accepting you are pleading guilty. Depending on circumstances, they might be the best way out, but he's innocent or they can't prove he committed the crime then its worth might be worth it to go to trial. Be careful with the court appointed counselors, if they don't like you, they'll make it seem like your horrible. Thankfully the one that did my husband's risk assessment was great. My husband sees his own counselor every other week. She has been a Godsend, and her best friend is our legal counsel. We're awaiting a plea for my husband. Unfortunately with state laws being so vague, my husband's conversation crossed the line even though there wasn't a meeting ever set up (he even gave bogus crossroads when asked where he lived). He was probably too cooperative during the interview, enough for them to probably find him guilty in a jury trial. We can't risk him going away for 8+ years. He doesn't have to worry about employment if he has to register because he works for his father so we're extremely grateful for that. We're praying that they see his risk assessment is low enough that they won't require him to be listed online (in AZ, low risk sex offenders only have to register with local law enforcement but do not have to be subject to public notification or on the online registry). I recommend a plan. Its hard to determine a future in this situation, but if you start planning for it, even way down the road because YES there is light at the end of the tunnel, it helps you realize that this will be behind us one day. The only thing we can do from here is move forward. We're here to help you if you ever feel like you are falling backwards.