Defense for Internet Crime Charges in Sarasota & Manatee Counties
Cyber and internet crime charges carry serious consequences, and the cases that drive them are built almost entirely on digital evidence. At Law Offices of Eric Reisinger, PA, we approach each case by examining how that evidence was collected, how it was preserved, and whether investigators followed the rules. We represent individuals facing charges in Sarasota County, Manatee County, Bradenton, and surrounding areas.
We review the full record from the start, identifying procedural violations and weaknesses in the prosecution’s evidence. Where negotiation is the right path, we pursue it. Where the case needs to go to trial, we’re prepared to take it there. Throughout the process, we keep clients informed about their rights and realistic about their options.
A Prosecutor’s Perspective on Evidence-Heavy Cases
Attorney Eric Reisinger was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2005 and joined the State Attorney’s Office, where he prosecuted misdemeanor and felony cases in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. That caseload ranged from DUIs to armed robberies and murder. He knows how prosecutors assemble a case file because he built them.
That background is directly relevant to internet crime defense. Prosecutors in these cases rely on digital forensics, device seizures, and chain-of-custody documentation. Understanding how those files are put together is the starting point for finding where they fall apart. Eric maintains active membership in the Florida Bar and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, staying current as Florida’s digital crime statutes continue to evolve.
Internet Crime Charges We Defend in Sarasota
Florida’s cyber and internet crime statutes cover a broad range of conduct. The Florida Computer Crimes Act (Chapter 815, Florida Statutes) prohibits unauthorized access to computers, networks, and electronic devices, along with computer fraud and offenses against computer equipment. Depending on the alleged conduct and intent, these charges can be filed as third-degree, second-degree, or first-degree felonies.
Cyberstalking and online harassment charges fall under Florida’s stalking statute (F.S. 784.048). Simple cyberstalking is typically a first-degree misdemeanor, but the charge escalates to aggravated stalking, a third-degree felony, when it involves a credible threat, violation of an injunction, or a victim under 16. Identity theft, computer fraud, and other internet-facilitated offenses can carry additional federal exposure depending on whether the alleged conduct crossed state lines or involved financial institutions.
Our published case results include a 2017 case involving 15 counts of possession of child pornography (CF 002479 AX) that reached a successful resolution. Every case turns on its own facts, and past outcomes don’t predict future results, but that record reflects the level of attention we bring to evidence-intensive cyber crime defense.
Start with a Free Consultation
Early intervention matters in internet crime cases. Devices can be seized, accounts can be imaged, and the window to challenge how evidence was gathered narrows over time. The sooner we can review the facts of your situation, the more options we can identify.
Law Offices of Eric Reisinger, PA offers a free consultation to discuss the details of your charge. There’s no obligation, and information you share with us in a consultation can be protected by attorney-client privilege depending on the circumstances.
Chapter 815 of the Florida Statutes governs computer crimes in Florida. The core offense under F.S. 815.06 is unauthorized access: willfully and knowingly accessing a computer, system, network, or electronic device without authorization, disrupting data transmission, or introducing a computer contaminant. That base offense is a third-degree felony, but the charge level rises depending on what the person is alleged to have intended.
When the offense is committed to execute a scheme to defraud or obtain property, or when it interrupts a governmental operation or a public communication, transportation, or utility service, it is charged as a second-degree felony, which can carry up to 15 years in prison. The charge escalates further to a first-degree felony, which can carry up to 30 years, when the conduct endangers human life or disrupts medical equipment used in the direct administration of patient care.
Cyberstalking & Online Harassment Under F.S. 784.048
Florida defines cyberstalking as a course of conduct involving the communication of words, images, or language by electronic means directed at a specific person, causing substantial emotional distress with no legitimate purpose. That definition is broad enough to capture sustained messaging campaigns, social media contact, and other digital conduct that may not resemble traditional harassment.
Simple cyberstalking is a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in county jail. The charge becomes aggravated stalking, a third-degree felony that can carry up to five years in prison, when it involves a credible threat, violates an existing injunction or court order, or targets a victim under 16. The presence of an injunction or a minor victim is frequently what drives these cases from misdemeanor to felony territory.
How Cyber Crime Cases Move Through Sarasota-Area Courts
Criminal cases in Sarasota County are handled by the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office typically conducting the initial investigation. For more complex cases, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Cybercrime Office may become involved. The FDLE Cybercrime Office carries a statewide mission that includes conducting complex cyber investigations and providing digital forensic support to local and regional agencies.
That layered investigative structure matters for defense. When multiple agencies participate in collecting and analyzing evidence, the chain of custody, meaning the documented record of who handled the evidence, when, and under what conditions, becomes a critical review point. Gaps or deviations in that chain can affect whether digital evidence is admissible. Reviewing those records early is a standard part of how we approach any internet crime case in Sarasota or Manatee County.
Our top priority is to devise customized legal strategies that are tailored to the unique legal needs of our clients, no matter how simple or complicated their situations, might be.
Not Guilty Verdict2016 CF 004875 NC – Life Felony Second Degree Murder
Not Guilty Verdict2017 CF 000169 – Life Felony Armed Robbery
Successful Resolution2017 CF 002479 AX – 15 Counts of Possession of Child Pornography
Not Guilty Verdict2017 MM 11498 – Misdemeanor Battery and Misdemeanor Sex Offense -Unnatural and Lascivious Act
Case Dismissed2018 CF 000323 – Two Counts Felony Battery on a Person 65 or Older
Case Dismissed2018 CF 002675 AX–Felony Battery on a Person 65 or Older
When you hire the Law Offices of Eric Reisinger, PA to defend you on a criminal charge, we will conduct a full investigation of the circumstances leading to your arrest. As a former prosecutor at the State Attorney’s Office, Attorney Reisinger has in-depth knowledge and understanding of how the state prepares and presents its cases.
