There is a whole side of child sex crimes that people in Cincinnati may not even know about: child-on-child sexual abuse. While many of the juvenile sexual assault cases don't make it into the public eye, it is heartening to know that 85 to95 percent of the children convicted of a sex crime will never be arrested for a sex crime again. Unfortunately, many of the children who have been arrested, even those that have no criminal record, are punished very similarly to adult sex offenders.

One of the hardest child-on-child sexual assaults to deal with are committed by autistic children. For many children with autism, they may not know what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior, making sexual assaults a mistake or misunderstanding. Many of the children were tragically abused themselves and are merely repeating the behavior they learned at the hands of others. Instead of teaching them boundaries, many are processed through the criminal justice system.

In many states, children 14-years-old and older will be forced to register as a sex offender if they get into trouble. Under the federal Adam Walsh Act, certain types of offenders, including juvenile offenders, will automatically be placed on the sex-offender registry. Some states are even more strict, putting children even younger than 14 on the registry for 25 years or for the rest of their lives. Since only 5 percent of juvenile offenders will re-offend, this means there are numerous children and young adults that have a juvenile sex offense conviction following them around and making finding a home or work more difficult.

Being charged with a sex crime, whether you are still a minor or an adult, is extremely serious. From the moment you are charged, it is important to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney because it is very easy for prosecutors to play up the serious nature of child sexual abuse to the jury. An attorney can help to assure that your rights are respected and that you are afforded the protection you deserve.

Source: Associated Press, "Child-on-child sex abuse poses complex challenges," David Crary, Jan. 7, 2012