Sex crimes are always serious offenses in Tennessee. If you are convicted, you may face penalties that affect the rest of your life such as being placed on a national sex offender registry that limits where you can live and work. Even being accused is enough to ruin your reputation. That’s why you need a competent sex crimes lawyer representing you.
Fortunately, our experienced Franklin, TN sex crimes lawyer at Byron Pugh Legal stands ready to protect your rights under the law. We have tried cases in Franklin and throughout Tennessee and have the skill and experience to defend your rights. Call us today at 615-255-9595 to schedule your free consultation and case evaluation.
Types of Sex Offenses
Sex offenses in Tennessee include acts against the victim’s will such as oral penetration, genital penetration, anal intercourse, inappropriate bodily contact with a minor, or any other intrusion of the victim, no matter how small.
All types of conduct and action identified as sex offenses in Tennessee are listed under Title 39 of the Tennessee Code and include:
Rape: It involves unwilling sexual penetration of a victim by the defendant and is punishable under the following conditions:
- The victim didn’t give consent
- The violator committed the act with the use of coercion or force
- The defendant used fraud to establish penetration
- The defendant was aware that the victim was physically helpless, mentally incapacitated, or mentally defective.
Aggravated Rape: It involves unlawful sexual contact under any of the circumstances below:
- The victim was injured
- The defendant used force or coercion to perform the act
- The accused used a weapon or substance in a manner leading the victim to believe it’s a weapon
- The perpetrator knew or had reason to know that the victim was physically helpless, mentally incapacitated, or mentally defective.
Rape of a Child: It refers to the engagement in penetrative sexual activity with a victim more than 3 years of age but less than 13 years of age.
Aggravated Rape of a Child: It involves the unlawful penetration of a child less than 3 years of age by the defendant.
Sexual Battery: It refers to the engagement in sexual contact with a victim under the following situations:
- Fraud was used to establish to unlawful sexual contact
- The act involved coercion or force
- The victim didn’t give consent to the performance of the contact and the defendant was aware of this fact.
Aggravated Sexual Battery: It refers to an illegal sexual contact between a victim and the defendant under the following circumstances:
- The victim was 13 years of age at the time of contact
- The defendant had help in establish unlawful contact by one or more other persons
- The victim had suffered physical injury
- The defendant established the act using force or coercion
Statutory Rape: It refers to the penetration of a victim under the conditions that:
- The victim was at least 4 years and not less than 10 years older than the victim, while the victim was at least 13 but less than 15 years of age.
- The victim is at least 15 years of age, but less than 18, and the defendant is over 5 years but less than 10 years older than the victim.
Mitigated Statutory Rape: It involves the illicit sexual penetration of a victim that’s at least 15 years but less than 18 years of age by the defendant, who isn’t mote than 5 years older than the victim.
Aggravated Statutory Rape: It refers to the engagement in sexual penetration with a victim of at least 13 years old but less than 18 years of age by the defendant that’s at least 10 years older than the victim.
Prostitution: It refers to the engagement in or offering to engage in acts of sexual persuasion either as a business or as an inmate in a house of prostitution.
Aggravated Prostitution: It refers to engagement in sexual activity as a business or as an inmate in a house of prostitution while being infected with HIV.
Patronizing Prostitution: It refers to the solicitation of a prostitute or a law enforcement officer posing as a prostitute.
Promoting Travel for Prostitution: It is unlawful for an individual to offer or sell travel services through any means of transportation to facilitate prostitution in Tennessee.
Penalties for Sex Crimes
All sex crimes are illegal in Tennessee according to Chapter 13, Title 39 of the Tennessee Penal Code and come with intense penalties such as incarceration, community monitoring, registering as a sex offender, and high court fees.
Depending on the crime, the area, and the specifics of the case, the punishment for a sex crime can differ significantly. Here are some possible penalties for sex crimes committed in the state of Tennessee:
- Aggravated Rape, Rape of a Child: It is a Class A Felony with penalties ranging from 15 to 60 years in prison and fines of up to $50,000.
- Rape, Spousal Rape, Aggravated Sexual Battery: It is a Class B Felony with penalties ranging from 8 to 30 years in prison and fines of up to $25,000.
- Aggravated Rape of a Child: It is a Class A Felony with the penalty being life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
- Statutory Rape or Sexual Battery by an Authority Figure: It is a Class C Felony with penalties ranging from 3 to 15 years in prison and fines of up to $10,000.
- Sexual Battery: It is a Class E Felony with penalties ranging from 1 to 6 years in prison and fines of up to $3,000.
- Mitigated Statutory Rape: It is a Class E Felony with penalties ranging from 1 to 6 years in prison and fines of up to $3,000.
- Aggravated Statutory Rape: Oto s a Class D Felony with penalties ranging from 2 to 12 years in prison and fines of up to $5,000.
Prostitution is a Class B misdemeanor in Tennessee, but becomes a Class A misdemeanor if it occurred within 100 feet of a church or 1½ miles of a school. Penalties include imprisonment for a maximum of 6 months and a fine of up to $500. If classified as a Class A misdemeanor, the offender faces up to 11 months and 29 days in prison and a fine of up to $2,500.
- Patronizing Prostitution: It is a Class A misdemeanor with penalties involving up to 11 months and 29 days in prison and a fine of up to $2,500.
- Aggravated Prostitution: It is a Class C Felony with penalties ranging from 3 to 15 years and fines of up to $10,000.
- Patronizing Prostitution: It is a Class D Felony with penalties ranging from 2 to 12 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
- Sex Offender Registry: Nearly all sex offenders in Tennessee will end up on the national sex offender registry that seriously impacts where you can work or live and you will also be required to regularly check in with local police for several years to the rest of your life.
Revealing True Facts About Your Case and How That Helps
It is always advisable to be forthcoming and cooperate with law enforcement officials within the limits of your rights under the law. After all, you have nothing to worry about if you are innocent. Being truthful also helps your lawyer navigate your case better for a more desirable result.
So, always refrain from lying when you talk to your lawyer. Giving false information can end up making things much worse for you. Telling your legal team the entire truth from the very beginning allows them to make the best defense. It also helps protect you from incriminating yourself.
Call a Franklin, TN Sex Crimes Lawyer Today to Schedule a Free Consultation and Case Evaluation!
Law enforcement investigators may sometimes overlook facts when conducting sexual offense investigations that may cast doubt on the truth of the accusation. That’s why a Franklin, TN sex crimes lawyer needs to be a skilled investigator, examine the real facts of the case, and bring new information to the attention of the police investigators or the court whenever possible.
If you or a loved one is currently being investigated for allegedly committing a sex crime in Franklin, TN, the need to hire a competent, skilled, and experienced sex crimes defense lawyer is paramount. The experienced legal team at Byron Pugh Legal will aggressively protect your rights under the law to ensure the most favorable outcome.
Call the experienced sex crimes lawyer at Byron Pugh Legal today at 615-255-9595 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your concerns and find out more about your rights and legal options. We have extensive experience in this area of law and will fight aggressively to have you acquitted of the charges or seek reduced penalties. You shouldn’t hesitate to involve our law office today. We look forward to hearing from you.
