Dear Help! 
Yes, many of us here do know exactly what you are going through.  My 
personal experience is different, as my now 16 year old son falsely
stated that he and another son (now 15) "had sex" with our 9 year old
daughter.  It didn't happen!  Our daughter is in a foster home and the
boys are still at home with us.  We went through the process of an 
attempted prosecution against our sons, but luckily everything turned
out okay on that end.  We are still fighting to get our daughter home
and ultimately, we may wind up losing her forever since Children's
Protective Services wants us to admit to a lie that we will not tell.
Although my tragedy is different, you are not alone, and you will find
friends here.  Believe me, many of these people here have been my
lifeline when things got really rough. 
 He> The girl and her friend have often tried to impress myself and others
 He> by telling us stories of sexual encounters they have had with men "of
 He> age" men which I knew personally and had dated. I am a grown woman
 He> with children. Now the man I am married to is being faced with 25 years
 He> in prison for a crime he didn't commit. 
 
My sons were facing 8 years in the California Youth Authority, a jail for
kids.  I have known teen-agers to make up stories like this - but boys and
girls alike.  
 
 He> I'm sure she will not admit she lied for fear of judicial or parental
 He> repercussion.
 
At this point, even if they say it isn't true, it won't matter because the 
authorities will only think she is in denial.  
 He> So now, a very expensive attorney,which we cannot afford is telling
 He> us that "these cases can go either way" and I'm thinking for a few
 He> grand they ought to go MY WAY!!!
 
Your attorney is right.  I know far too many people that have been  
convicted on no evidence whatsoever.  I wish it weren't true, but it is.
 
 He> I have faith in God that he IS on OUR side and won't let an innocent
 He> man go to jail and leave his family. This is a very scary situation.
 
Yes, it is scary. 
 
 He> I'm sure when this girl started this rumor she had no intention of
 He> destroying a man and his family's life, but the authorities do.
 
That's their job.  The authorites don't seem to care about truth, they 
want convictions, it makes their record look good.
 
 He> I understand that it is their job to convict criminals,
 He> but why are you guilty until proven innocent?
 
When it comes to sexual abuse, child abuse, or neglect, you are guilty 
until proven innocent.  That is not how it is supposed to be, but that's
the way it is.  That's why there are organizations working to change the
laws to protect the victims that are falsely accused.  You might try 
contacting VOCAL (Victims of Child Abuse Legislation) at 1-303-233-5321
and ask if they have a chapter in your area.  You could also call MASA
(Mother's Against Sexual Abuse) - but I don't have a number for them.
Two books that may prove helpful are "GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT" by
Rev. Keith Barnhart, and "A QUESTION OF INNOCENCE" by Lawrence D. Spiegal.
These are both true stories, and they may give you information that could
be helpful to your case.  If you can't afford to buy them, try the public
library.
 He> We have virtually no income because my husband cannot get a decent
 He> paying job with criminal charges pending.
 He> Does anybody know what this is like?
 
Yep!  My husband and I both lost our jobs 3 years ago when the same son 
falsely accused us of beating him.  I'm his step-mother and he wanted to
go live with his real mom, so he got in a fight, got bruised, and went
crying to the school counselor claiming I hit him.  When that was 
disproven he claimed his father hit him!  (Nice kid, huh?)  My husband
and I were both unemployed for over a month.  My husband lost his job
first, and was unemployed for a total of 5 months.  I lost my job almost
two months before my husband went back to work.  I haven't worked since
in order to try to keep the kids from getting into too much trouble.  
I know of others here who have had it much worse than we have.
 
 He> I mean, if there is a computer network group for this type of false
 He> accusation, I'm sure someone can help me with advice and counsel.
 He> Please, anybody respond.
By posting here, you've already found one forum for false accusations. You
might ask your sysop to get a REC request for VOCAL on FidoNet.  It is
another echo similar to VFALSAC and you are welcome to join in, since it
is new, there may not be a lot of help there yet, but we will do what we
can to help.  If you can hire a private investigator to do an investigation
of your case that might help.  Also, document EVERYTHING that happens.  
Every time you go to the store, you get gas, go to the bank, etc, keep 
your receipts.  They are evidence of where you have been on what days and
the time you were there.  This can be important just in case another 
accusation comes in (for example:  someone might say you told them such
and such on a certain day and time, and if you have proof you were getting
gas at the same time, then that witness can be discredited).
Try to hang in there, and remember, you are not alone!  You may feel that
way, but it simply isn't true.  I know because that is how I felt, and I
have come to discover that my friends are now as numerous as the stars.  
I never would have believed that was possible, but it's true.
... It is by logic that we prove, but by intuition that we discover ...
___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12
--- Renegade v10-05 Exp
---------------