In March, 2011, Ohio businessman and former Republication congressional candidate Tom Ganley was indicted on charges related to an alleged sexual assault on a potential campaign volunteer.
According to the indictment, Ganley faces three felonies for gross sexual imposition and a single count each for abduction, kidnapping, solicitation and menacing by stalking. The charges stem from an alleged incident in which a woman claims that Ganley grabbed her, wrapped his arms around her, kissed her and reached into her pants at one of Ganley’s car dealerships.
As a result of the charges, Ganley stepped down from his role as chairman of the Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County, even though he says he is innocent. The Crime Stoppers organization offers rewards to people who provide tips that help solve criminal cases in a system the keeps tipsters’ identities anonymous. According to one of Ganley’s defense attorneys, Ganley does not want the allegations he faces to distract from the work Crime Stoppers does or affect its good reputation in the community.
Unfortunately, allegations of sex crimes often have a significant impact on the lives of the accused. In addition to the effect on personal relationships, businesses and organizations associated with people accused of sex crimes may suffer harm to their reputations and experience a decrease in business.
Further, if convicted of a sex crime, an individual may have difficulty finding employment and housing because many occupations and housing communities ban sex offenders from working or living there.
Because allegations of sex crimes can carry significant consequences, anyone accused of or under investigation for a sex offense should promptly contact a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney to lessen the impact of the charges and mount a strong legal defense.
