Sex Offenses

Sex Crimes in Tennessee

Chattanooga Sex Crime Lawyer Defends Against Felony Charges

At Davis & Hoss, PC, many of our recent cases have included probation for a charge of sexual exploitation in criminal court. In Tennessee, there are many different types of sex offenses that an individual can be charged with, and the penalties can be extremely severe — including being listed in a state sex offender registry. Many of these sex offenses can be aggravated by certain factors such as the age of the victim or whether the suspect is an authority figure. No matter what the charges you face may be, hiring a Chattanooga criminal defense lawyer with sufficient experience and legal capability is absolutely crucial if you wish to avoid the serious repercussions of a sex crime conviction.

Rape and Statutory Rape

Rape is defined as the unlawful sexual penetration of a victim by the defendant. The sexual act is considered unlawful if it is accompanied by force or coercion; lack of consent; if the defendant knows or has reason to know that the victim is mentally defective, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless; or if the penetration is accomplished by fraud. Rape is considered a Class B felony in the state of Tennessee and could carry fines up to $25,000 and between eight and 30 years in state prison.

Is it Illegal to Kiss a Minor in Tennessee?

In Tennessee, it can be illegal to kiss a minor. In Tennessee, sexual contact by an authority figure is unlawful sexual contact with a minor between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, when the defendant is four years older than the victim, and the defendant acts as an authority figure to the victim. Because of this law, authority figures can not have sexual relations with minors.

Statutory rape is defined in three separate ways:

• Mitigated statutory rape is the unlawful sexual penetration of a victim who is at least 15 but less than 18 by an individual who is at least four but not more than five years older.
• Statutory rape is the unlawful sexual penetration of a victim who is at least 13 but less than 15 by an individual who is at least four but less than 10 years older.
• Finally, aggravated statutory rape is the unlawful sexual penetration of a victim who is at least 13 but less than 18 by an individual who is at least 10 years older.

Mitigated and statutory rape are Class E felonies while aggravated statutory rape is a Class D felony.

Sexual Battery

Sexual battery is defined as “unlawful sexual contact” accompanied by force or coercion; lack of consent; if the defendant knows or has reason to know that the victim is mentally defective, mentally incapacitated or physically helpless; or if the penetration is accomplished by fraud. It is considered Class E felony. Conviction could lead to fines up to $3,000 and between one to six years in state prison.

Indecent Exposure

Indecent exposure can be charged if a person in a public place and knowingly or intentionally, “(i) engages in sexual intercourse, masturbation, sodomy, bestiality, oral copulation, flagellation, excretory functions or other ultimate sex acts; (ii) appears in a state of nudity; or (iii) fondles the genitals of the person, or another person.” A first offense is a Class B misdemeanor.

Serious Representation for Sex Crime Cases in Tennessee

The proven Chattanooga sex crime attorneys at Davis & Hoss, PC have represented many individuals charged with sex crimes ranging from one extreme to the other. These are often delicate factual scenarios that require composure, steady investigation, and thorough knowledge of how to try these particular types of cases. If you have been charged with any of these offenses, you want a lawyer who the prosecutor knows can try a case. Attorneys Lee Davis and Bryan Hoss have successfully defended dozens of individuals charged with very serious sex offenses.