After you have become aware that you are being accused of a Sexual Offense, to a child or an adult, you must understand that a critical period exists when important evidence is still being collected by the State. Neither Guilt nor Innocence is determined during this time frame, so you must understand your rights in order to protect them. At this point your most significant right is offered by the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the right against self-incrimination. This means that you do not have to provide the police with any information unless compelled to do so by a court order. Many criminal defense lawyers feel that more innocent defendants are convicted of sexual offenses than all other kinds of offenses combined. Evidence to this fact are the large number of DNA exonerations in adult sex offense cases.. Criminal Justice