10 Best Sex Crime Lawyers in Edwardsville, IL

This guide covers 10 criminal defense firms that handle sex crime allegations for clients in Edwardsville and the rest of Madison County, Illinois. Firms were evaluated on their attorneys’ professional backgrounds (including time as prosecutors or public defenders), how much of their work is devoted to sex offense defense versus general practice, whether they handle both state and federal cases, and where their offices sit relative to Edwardsville. Offices in Edwardsville, Alton, Belleville and the St. Louis area are included because sex crime cases in this part of Illinois often cross county lines or move into federal court.

When comparing options, three questions matter most. Does the attorney regularly appear in Madison County court and know how local prosecutors build these cases? Does the firm handle federal charges, such as internet and child pornography offenses, as well as state felonies? And will the firm also address the long-term consequences of a charge, including sex offender registration, employment and housing limits? This list is not ranked and no firm paid to be included. Details come from firm websites, attorney directories such as Avvo, Justia and Nolo, and Google Business listings.

Quick View: Top 3 Sex Crime Lawyers in Belleville, IL

1. The Law Office of Jessica Koester, LLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Jessica J. Koester, Founder
• Headquarters: 100 N Main St 2nd Floor, Suite 1, Edwardsville, IL 62025
• Phone: (618) 692-4900
• Website: koester-law.com
• Practice Areas: Sex Crimes (internet sex crimes, sexual assault and abuse, child pornography, failure to register, grooming, sex trafficking, aggravated and predatory criminal sexual assault), Federal Crimes, Murder, Gun Crimes, Drug Crimes, Battery and Assault, DUI and Traffic, Juvenile Law, Theft, Expungements
• Firm Size: Boutique criminal defense practice led by its founder
• Practice Area Page: Edwardsville Sex Crime Lawyer
• Social Profiles: Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Avvo

About the Firm: Jessica Koester has been licensed in Illinois since 2002 and holds a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame. She spent eight years as an associate at Lucco, Brown and Mudge, a long-established Edwardsville firm, before opening her own practice in 2010. Her Avvo profile shows roughly three quarters of her work in criminal defense and a 9.5 rating, and she has served on the Illinois State Bar Association’s Committee on Corrections and Sentencing.

Sex crimes are the first practice area on her firm’s website, with separate pages covering internet offenses, sexual assault and abuse, child pornography, grooming, sex trafficking and failure to register as a sex offender. The firm also handles federal sex crime cases and helps juveniles seek removal from sex offender lists, which makes it a practical single point of contact when a case could move between state and federal court. Its main line is listed as available at any hour for consultations.

2. Polinske & Associates, P.C.

• Attorney/Key Figure: Brian L. Polinske, Founder
• Headquarters: 701 N Main St, Edwardsville, IL 62025
• Phone: (618) 692-6520
• Website: criminaldef.com
• Practice Areas: Criminal Defense (including aggravated criminal sexual assault and predatory criminal sexual assault), DUI and DWI, Personal Injury, Civil Rights
• Firm Size: Boutique criminal defense and DUI firm

About the Firm: Brian Polinske has been licensed in Illinois since 1992 and began his career as an assistant state’s attorney in Madison County, so he has seen how felony cases are charged from the prosecution side. His Avvo profile shows about 74 percent of his practice in criminal defense, an 8.1 rating, and membership in the Madison County, Illinois State and Federal bar associations.

His listed case history includes a sexual assault jury trial win in Fayette County and a criminal sexual assault matter in St. Clair County, which shows a willingness to try serious sex offense cases outside Madison County. DUI work makes up a meaningful share of the firm’s caseload, so sex crime defense sits alongside a broader criminal docket rather than defining the practice.

3. Hirsch Law Group (Edwardsville Office)

• Attorney/Key Figure: Gordon H. Hirsch, Name Partner
• Headquarters: 232 S Buchanan St, Edwardsville, IL 62025 (also a Belleville office at 6500 W Main St, Suite 4A, Belleville, IL 62223)
• Phone: (618) 464-4408
• Website: hirschlawgroup.com
• Practice Areas: Sex Crimes, Felony Defense, Drug Crimes, Gun Crimes, DUI, Traffic Offenses, Family Law
• Firm Size: Large multi-office firm with 19 Illinois office addresses listed

About the Firm: Hirsch Law Group is one of the larger criminal defense platforms in Illinois, and its Edwardsville office on South Buchanan Street serves Madison County alongside a second Metro East office in Belleville. The firm lists sex crimes as its own practice area with a dedicated page, and its team is organized around criminal defense across the state.

The scale cuts both ways. A large network can bring statewide reach and extended office hours, but with 19 Illinois addresses the Edwardsville office is one location among many, so it is worth asking which attorney will actually appear in your Madison County hearings.

4. Law Offices of Robert Elovitz

• Attorney/Key Figure: Robert L. Elovitz, Founder
• Headquarters: 521 St Louis St, Edwardsville, IL 62025
• Phone: (618) 692-4800
• Website: elovitzlawoffice.com
• Practice Areas: Criminal Defense (including sexual offenses), Divorce, Child Custody
• Firm Size: Boutique firm led by its founder

About the Firm: Robert Elovitz has been practicing since 1993, giving him more than three decades of familiarity with the Madison County courthouse and the local bench and bar. His criminal defense page lists sexual offenses among the cases he handles and describes them as allegations that call for an experienced defense.

The firm is a general practice that pairs criminal defense with divorce and child custody work. That breadth can help when a sex offense allegation overlaps with a family dispute or custody case, though sex crime defense is one of several areas rather than the sole focus. Google shows a 4.4 average across 39 reviews.

5. Lucco Brown & Hertz LLC

• Attorney/Key Figure: Michael J. Hertz, Principal Member and Manager
• Headquarters: 224 St Louis St, Edwardsville, IL 62025
• Phone: (618) 656-2321
• Website: lbtdlaw.com
• Practice Areas: Criminal Defense (DUI, drug offenses, sex crimes, assault), Litigation, Probate, Personal Injury
• Firm Size: Multi-attorney general practice firm with roots in the early 1900s

About the Firm: Lucco Brown & Hertz is one of the oldest law firms in Edwardsville, and Michael Hertz manages it today with J. William Lucco serving of counsel. The firm describes its criminal practice as covering DUI, drug offenses, sex crimes and assault, and its downtown Edwardsville office keeps it close to the Madison County court system.

Its criminal work sits within a general practice that also includes litigation and estate matters. Sex crimes are named in the firm’s description of its criminal defense work but do not have a dedicated page, so prospective clients may want to ask how many such cases the firm has handled recently.

6. Sackett Law, P.C.

• Attorney/Key Figure: Jeremy W. Sackett, Lead Attorney
• Headquarters: 115 N Buchanan St, Edwardsville, IL 62025
• Phone: (618) 692-8225
• Website: sackettlawoffice.com
• Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, DUI and DWI, Domestic Violence, Personal Injury, Car Accidents, Landlord and Tenant
• Firm Size: Boutique firm with two attorneys

About the Firm: Jeremy Sackett has been licensed in Illinois since 2005 and holds a J.D. from Southern Illinois University School of Law. From 2006 to 2012 he was an assistant state’s attorney in the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office, where he prosecuted felony, misdemeanor, DUI and domestic cases, which gives him a close view of how local charges are built. His Avvo rating is 9.4.

Michael J. Swanson practices with the firm, and his directory profile lists sex crimes and internet crimes among his criminal law areas. Criminal defense is about 40 percent of Jeremy Sackett’s own listed practice, with the rest spread across DUI, domestic violence and civil matters, so this is a general practice with strong local prosecution experience rather than a sex crime specialist.

7. Combs Waterkotte (Belleville Office)

• Attorney/Key Figure: Christopher Combs and Steven Waterkotte, Name Partners
• Headquarters: 12 Wolf Creek Dr #100, Belleville, IL 62226 (appointment-only office; main office in the St. Louis area and a Chicago office at 110 N Wacker Dr, Suite 2500)
• Phone: (618) 882-7463
• Website: combswaterkotte.com
• Practice Areas: Sex Crimes, Sexual Assault Defense, Federal Sex Crimes, Internet Sex Crimes, Violent Crimes, Felony Defense, DUI
• Firm Size: Large criminal defense firm with offices in Missouri and Illinois

About the Firm: Combs Waterkotte builds much of its marketing around sex crime defense and publishes location pages for communities across the Metro East, including Edwardsville. Its sex crimes content covers criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual assault, sexual abuse, predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, child pornography, grooming, traveling to meet a child, indecent exposure, prostitution and solicitation, along with Illinois penalty ranges and the collateral effects on registration, housing, employment, immigration and custody.

The firm reports handling more than 10,000 cases and more than 100 years of combined legal experience across its attorneys. Its Belleville office is open by appointment and sits in St. Clair County, so Edwardsville clients should confirm which attorney will handle their Madison County case and where meetings will take place.

8. Stobbs Law Offices

• Attorney/Key Figure: John Stobbs, Founder
• Headquarters: 307 Henry Street, Suite 211, Alton, IL 62002 (serves Edwardsville and Madison County)
• Phone: (618) 462-8484
• Website: stobbslaw.com
• Practice Areas: Sex Crimes Defense, Federal Sex Crimes, Child Pornography Crimes, Federal Drug Crimes, White Collar Crimes, Gun Crimes, Grand Jury Subpoenas, Bank Robberies
• Firm Size: Solo practice; John Stobbs does the work on his cases personally

About the Firm: John Stobbs earned his J.D. from Saint Louis University in 1989 and practiced with his father at Stobbs & Sinclair in Alton before leading Stobbs Law Offices. He served as president of the Madison County Bar Association in 2010, was appointed Criminal Justice Act panel representative for the Eastern District of Missouri in 2011, and holds a long-running AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell. He is fluent in English and Spanish.

His practice is built around serious state and federal cases, with sex crimes, federal sex crimes and child pornography charges each listed separately, and his site says he is not a volume practice and keeps a small number of open files at a time. As a solo lawyer he does not have a bench of associates to cover scheduling conflicts, which is the trade-off for that direct attention. His Alton office is a short drive from Edwardsville.

9. Richard T. Roustio, Attorney at Law

• Attorney/Key Figure: Richard T. Roustio, Founder
• Headquarters: 1 South Church Street, Suite 500, Belleville, IL 62220
• Phone: (618) 266-2617
• Website: 618criminaldefense.com
• Practice Areas: Criminal Defense; Sex Crimes (Child Pornography Possession, Creation and Distribution)
• Firm Size: Solo-led practice; more than 100 cases tried in court

About the Firm: Richard Roustio is a Belleville criminal defense attorney who reports more than 100 cases tried in court. His sex crimes work focuses on child pornography charges, including possession, creation, distribution and related offenses, and his defenses center on unlawful search and seizure, lack of knowledge and mistaken identity, the issues that most often decide digital-evidence cases.

A former client describes a child pornography case resolved through treatment and probation that ended in dismissal. His published sex crimes information is limited to child pornography, and his office is in St. Clair County, so clients facing a contact offense in Madison County may prefer an Edwardsville-based attorney.

10. Travis Noble, P.C.

• Attorney/Key Figure: Travis L. Noble, Founding Lawyer
• Headquarters: 8000 Maryland Avenue, Suite 910, St. Louis, MO 63105 (serves Edwardsville and Madison County)
• Phone: (314) 721-6614
• Website: travisnoble.com
• Practice Areas: Criminal Defense (including sexual assault, indecent exposure and child sexual abuse material charges), DWI, Family Law, Divorce, Child Custody, Personal Injury, Immigration
• Firm Size: Boutique firm with a small team

About the Firm: Travis Noble spent a decade as a police officer and narcotics agent before practicing law, and his firm reports more than 30 years of legal experience. He is listed in the NACDL directory with an Illinois bar admission and federal admission to the 7th and 8th Circuits, which covers federal cases in both Illinois and the St. Louis region.

His criminal defense page names sexual assault, indecent exposure and possession of child sexual abuse material among the charges the firm handles, although sex crimes are not a standalone practice area. The office is in the St. Louis area and Edwardsville appears as an area served rather than an office location, so it suits people who are comfortable with a St. Louis-based attorney.

Edwardsville, IL  Sex Crime Lawyers Resources 

• Illinois State Police Sex Offender Registry: The state’s public online registry of people required to register for certain sex offenses and crimes against children. The site refers questions about individual records to local law enforcement.
• Madison County Circuit Court: The county court’s home page, with links to criminal courts, hearing dates and contact details. The courthouse is at 155 N. Main Street, Edwardsville.
• Illinois Courts Directory Madison County Courthouse: Courthouse hours, phone numbers, local rules and court forms for the Third Judicial Circuit, which covers Madison and Bond counties.
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Illinois: The federal court that hears federal sex crime and child pornography cases arising in this part of Illinois, with a courthouse in East St. Louis.
• ARDC Lawyer Search: The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission’s online lookup for an attorney’s registration and discipline history.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the penalties for sex crimes in Illinois?

Penalties depend on the charge. Criminal sexual assault is typically a Class 1 felony carrying 4 to 15 years in prison, while aggravated criminal sexual assault is typically a Class X felony carrying 6 to 30 years. Federal child pornography cases bring their own sentencing rules, including mandatory minimums for receipt and distribution offenses. Firms such as Polinske & Associates, which lists aggravated and predatory criminal sexual assault among its criminal defense matters, and Combs Waterkotte, which publishes penalty examples for each charge it handles, can walk through the exposure on a specific allegation.

Where are sex crime cases heard in Edwardsville?

State felony cases in Edwardsville are heard in the Madison County Circuit Court, part of Illinois’s Third Judicial Circuit. Cases involving federal charges, such as internet or child pornography offenses, are prosecuted in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois. John Stobbs of Stobbs Law Offices lists federal practice in the Southern District of Illinois and the Eastern District of Missouri, and O’Gara & Gomric handles both state and federal criminal cases.

Will I have to register as a sex offender in Illinois?

A conviction for many sex offenses requires registration under the Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act, and the registration period ranges from 10 years to life depending on the offense. Registration can affect where a person may live and work. Jessica Koester’s firm handles failure-to-register charges and works on removing juveniles from sex offender lists, which shows how long these consequences can follow a case.

Should I talk to the police before hiring a lawyer?

It is generally wise to speak with a defense attorney before agreeing to a police interview, because statements made during an investigation can be used later. Some firms keep phone lines open around the clock for exactly this reason. The Law Office of Jessica Koester lists its main line as available at any hour, so a call can be made as soon as an investigator makes contact.

Do I need a lawyer who handles both state and federal cases?

If the allegation involves online activity, images or communications across state lines, federal prosecution is a real possibility, so a firm that handles both is useful. Koester, Stobbs Law Offices and O’Gara & Gomric each list state and federal criminal defense, and Combs Waterkotte and Stobbs both have dedicated federal sex crime pages.

Should I choose a small firm or a large one?

A solo lawyer like John Stobbs offers direct attention from one attorney, while a large platform like Hirsch Law Group offers statewide offices and more staff. Mid-sized and general-practice firms such as Lucco Brown & Hertz and the Law Offices of Robert Elovitz sit in between and may suit people whose case overlaps with family, probate or civil matters. Asking who will personally appear in court, and how many sex offense cases the firm has handled, is the best way to compare them.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about selecting a sex crime lawyer in Edwardsville, IL. The attorneys listed are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of results. Legal experience, fees, and case outcomes may vary. Consult a licensed Illinois attorney to discuss your specific legal needs and determine the best representation for your situation.