A man is accused of massaging his stepdaughter at his home, which he secretly videotapes. Years later, he loses his phone and it is returned to the “In Case of Emergency” contact, which is the mother of the alleged victim. With no password on his phone, the mother of the stepdaughter sees the images and works with the police to secure the man’s arrest. He is charged with Aggravated Sexual Battery and Soliciting Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. There is indisputable proof of his involvement because he videotaped himself performing the massages, and both his face and the female are clearly visible. Through negotiations, I am able to secure an eight-year offer for him – the minimum amount of time on the lesser of two charges. He insists on going to trial despite compelling reasons to take a good offer. He also insists on taking the stand against my advice. The man receives twenty-two years instead of the eight-year offer. Through the DNA sample obtained after his conviction, he is accused of additional sexual offenses through DNA matching.
