Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Childline Expunction Attorney

The Notification letter from the Department of Public Welfare 

If you have been convicted of a crime involving a minor or even investigated for a crime involving a minor, you run the risk of being “childlined” by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. Essentially, you are placed on a list where your name would appear. If anyone runs a background check on your name, social security number or address for a job, volunteer position or loan, your name would appear as potential child abuser. If you are placed on the child line list, you could be prohibited from having contact with children in professional, social or private settings based on your presence on the list.

Prior to being placed on the list, the Department of Welfare (DPW) will do a preliminary investigation and send you a letter of their findings. The letter will state that, based on their investigation, they have made a finding that you should be placed on the child line list or that their investigation is pending the outcome of a current criminal case.

Appeal your Child Line finding by requesting an Expunction

Once you receive the letter, you have 45 days to contest the findings by filing an appeal. If you fail to respond within 45 days, you may be unable to expunge the finding and will remain on the child line registry for a period of time. Once you receive the letter from DPW, contact a child line expunction attorney immediately at (412) 212-3878 to discuss your options for appeal.

Beware of the Secondary Child Line Penalty in Criminal Cases

If you have pending case involving abuse of a minor: endangering the welfare of a child, indecent assault, recklessly endangering another person, corruption of a minor, sexual assault or rape, the investigation by DPW runs parallel to your criminal case. Which means, once your criminal case is complete DPW may institute proceedings against you regardless of the penalty you received for your criminal case. For example: If you enter a guilty plea to sex crime in criminal court involving a minor, and the agreement does not include a requirement that you register as a Sex Offender pursuant to Megan’s Law, you may still be childlined by DPW and thus restricted from having contact with minors in certain instances.

Hire a Pittsburgh Child Line expunction Attorney Today

Attorney Frank Walker has handled numerous sex assault and child abuse cases in criminal court and during the appellate process with DPW. Attorney Walker will take the time to review your case, discuss your options and provide vigorous defense to have your child line findings expunged from the Pennsylvania Child Abuse registry.

Contact Attorney Walker Today at (412) 212-3878 to schedule a consultation and a review of your case.