Sex Crimes

Being accused of any crime can be traumatic and freighting. When a person is accused of a sex crime, the immediate impact of the accusation is only the tip of the ice berg. The consequences of being convicted of a sex crime are harsh and go way beyond incarceration because most sex crime convictions require registration as a sex offender which will affect employment opportunities, living arrangements and even most of your personal relationships.

An experienced criminal defense attorney is crucial to help take on the defense of the allegations and help prepare you for life while living under the allegation and after. During the first few days and weeks of the allegation, you will want to tell your side of the story. It is best to keep your version of events to yourself until after you have spoken to a criminal defense attorney. Defending sex crimes requires an aggressive yet compassionate approach because most people, including jurors, do not want to believe an individual would lie about a sex offense, but they do. And unfortunately, an allegation can cause reputational harm even if it is shown to ultimately be false. There are many different types of sex crimes, below are a few common ones.

Statutory Rape

Defined as sexual penetration with a child who is between 13 and 18 years of age by someone who is at least 4 years old. Both people can be willing participants because a person must be 18 to consent to such contact. Statutory Rape is punished harshly as and the penalty varies depending on the age of the victim and defendant but the range of punishment can vary between E felony level and C felony level. An E Felony carries the potential penalty of between 1 and 6 years in prison and a C felony carries a potential penalty of between 3 and 15 years in prison. In addition, many of these convictions carry sex offender registry requirements which can be worse than prison.

Solicitation of a Minor

There are many different forms of criminal solicitation of a minor but they all, essentially, require an adult to intentionally communicate with someone under 18, in an effort to convince or induce the minor to perform or engage in any sexual activity. This communication can be electronic, written, oral or by any other means. The punishments vary and will be punished one classification lower than the crime solicited. For example, if someone is accused of soliciting a minor to have sexual intercourse that would be a Class A felony if accomplished, the act of soliciting will be punished as a Class B felony.

Sexual Battery

Sexual battery, in its simplest terms, occurs when someone makes unlawful sexual contact with another person. This contact can be through force or coercion or can simply be without consent. If that contact was accomplished with a weapon, the charge is aggravated. If the person contacted was less than 13 years old, the punishment is enhanced.

Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

This offense typically is used to prosecute someone who possesses anything depicting minors who are engaged in sexual activity or simulated sexual activity. A person can be charged with each depiction as a separate crime. These charges are punished very severely.

Rape

Is defined as the unlawful sexual penetration of another person using force or coercion and without the consent of the victim. This offense is prosecuted as a Class B felony. Like other offenses, there is an aggravated form of this offense that will be used if the offense was committed by force or coercion with the use of a weapon, if bodily harm was caused to the victim, or if the offense was committed with the help of another person.

Rape of a Child

Just like Rape but the victim is less than 13 years of age and the punishment for conviction is a minimum 25 years.