Texas takes cases of sexual assault against a child very seriously. If the state can prove that an act involving a child was for the perpetrator’s sexual gratification, it is considered a sex crime. If there was physical contact involving sexual penetration or intrusion between the child and the accused, a sexual assault charge is likely.
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Sexual allegations where children are involved are delicate and complicated cases to defend. This type of sexual accusation can be devastating in every aspect of your life. The presumption of innocence in our legal system may do little to protect those accused. Indecency with a child, like other sexual allegations, is one area where accused people often find they are put in a position where they have to prove their innocence. You cannot allow embarrassment to keep you from getting a skilled criminal defense attorney on your indecency case IMMEDIATELY. Every minute you wait, there is potentially more damage being done to your life and potentially more false evidence being collected to prosecute you. Early on in a sex related case investigation and legal protection is imperative. Charles Johnson, Houston Sex Crimes Lawyer, will handle your case with discretion and skill. He will fight to keep you out of jail, keep your reputation intact, and fight to keep your life from falling apart.
It is well established and understood by experts that many accusations of indecency with a child and sexual assault of a child are false. Many are grossly exaggerated. The reasons giving rise to false accusations of such conduct are varied. A child can imagine or dream such an incident. Perhaps the child was abused by another previously and misinterpreted and then exaggerated innocent incidental contact. Children have been known to fabricate such accusations because they were angry at the accused or were jealous, even for the most trivial reasons. Children can be led to make such claims by another angry or jealous adult, such as the accused’s spouse or lover. They are too young to comprehend how grave such a false accusation can be.
Under Texas law, a sexual encounter with a child or sexual contact with a child is either Indecency with a Child, Sexual Assault of a Child, or Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child, depending on the nature of the incident or contact.
Indecency with a Child. Allegations of certain types of sexual contact with a child, exposure to a child or causing the exposure of a child, who is under the age of 17, can lead to charges of Indecency with a Child. Such an offense may be a second or third degree felony. A defense may exist where, in such an incident, no duress, force or threat was used and the accused was not more than three years older than the child at the time.
Sexual Assault of a Child. If more violative and egregious contact is alleged, the accused may be charged with Sexual Assault of a Child, also a second degree felony. Again, a defense may exist where, in such an incident, no duress, force or threat was used and the accused was not more than three years older than the child at the time.
Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child. Sexual Assault of a Child becomes “aggravated” (first degree felony) when force or threat of force is used or when the child is younger than 14 years of age, regardless of consensual behavior. This latter is also commonly known as “statutory rape”. No child under the age of 14 can consent to such conduct. Mistaken understanding about the child’s age is no defense.
The consequences of a conviction in such matters are extreme. Even if prison time is avoided, an adult’s conviction results in the requirement to register as a sex offender for the rest of one’s life, and to have one’s photograph and address flashed on the computer screen of anyone in the world who decides to access the state’s sex offender registry site.
Indecency with a Child
The commonly phrased crime of child molestation is titled Indecency with a Child in Texas. There are two types of indecency: Indecency with a Child by Contact and Indecency with a Child by Exposure (similar to Indecent Exposure but a child is present). Both are serious felonies. Both require registration as a sex offender upon conviction.
Indecency with a Child by Contact is the more serious offense. The Texas statute does not distinguish between touching under the clothes or touching over clothes ñ any sexual contact is punished as a second degree felony. A person commits the offense of Indecency with a Child by Contact if:
With a child younger than 17 years and not the person’s spouse, whether the child is of the same or opposite sex, the person engages in sexual contact with the child or causes the child to engage in sexual contact.
Sexual contact means the following acts, if committed with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person:
(1) any touching by a person, including touching through clothing, of the anus, breast, or any part of the genitals of a child; or
(2) any touching of any part of the body of a child, including touching through clothing, with the anus, breast, or any part of the genitals of a person.
Indecency with a Child by Exposure is a third degree felony. A person commits the offense if with intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person he:
(A) exposes the person’s anus or any part of the person’s genitals, knowing the child is present; or
(B) causes the child to expose the child’s anus or any part of the child’s genitals.
The two crimes are often charged in conjunction as separate paragraphs of an indictment. Double jeopardy concerns are raised when the same act is used to prosecute a person for two different crimes. In a prosecution alleging Aggravated Sexual Assault, the acts constituting the assault may also constitute separate crimes of Indecency with a Child by Contact and Indecency with a Child by Exposure. In a prosecution for Indecency with a Child by Contact involving a child touching the genitals of an adult, the crime of Indecency by Exposure would logically also have to have been committed.
Why do these details matter?
Because the rules of evidence concerning extraneous offenses, double jeopardy, the right to election, and jury unanimity are incredibly important protections for innocent people falsely accused of child sex abuse. A three count indictment is more powerful psychologically than a single allegation. Even if all three counts reference the same incident, the news media, the general public, and potential jurors are given a false impression that there was more than one incident. Second, it bolsters prosecution based upon fear rather than proof. Since most people belief “where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” a juror may still convict an innocent person of a lesser charge because while they don’t believe the accused committed the most serious act alleged, he is probably guilty of something. Alleging indecency with a child by contact and indecency with a child by exposure provide two other bites at the apple. Finally, the fundamental nature of the criminal justice system is that the greater offense subsumes the lesser. If a person is accused of murder, the State does not also try to indict him for assault and aggravated assault en route to the completed homicide. When the appellate courts allow the trial courts to aggrandize the number of offenses, it creates inconsistencies in the system.
The fundamental principle of the Constitution is that it shouldn’t matter what you‘re charged with ñ you have the right to a fair trial. Because of political popularity of getting tough on sex offenses, the centuries of due process and presumption of innocence is being sacrificed for cheap political gain. While this damages the credibility of our justice system in general, it is most harmful to innocent people who are falsely accused. Now that the legislature and appellate courts have rewritten the rules to make it easier to convict a group of people charged with a heinous act, pray that you are never wrongfully accused of a sex crime in Texas.
Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child
Under most of the State laws, aggravated sexual assault against a child is clubbed with the section defining aggravated sexual assault. There are state specific laws on the subject which varies from state to state.
In Texas a person commits the offense of aggravated sexual assault against a child if he or she intentionally or knowingly:
(i) causes the penetration of the anus or sexual organ of a child younger than 14 years of age by any means;
(ii) causes the penetration of the mouth of a child younger than 14 years of age by the sexual organ of the actor;
(iii) causes the sexual organ of a child younger than 14 years of age to contact or penetrate the mouth, anus, or sexual organ of another person, including the actor;
(iv) causes the anus of a child younger than 14 years of age to contact the mouth, anus, or sexual organ of another person, including the actor; or
(v) causes the mouth of a child younger than 14 years of age to contact the anus or sexual organ of another person, including the actor;
A person can still be prosecuted for aggravated sexual assault of a child if the actor:
1. causes serious bodily injury or attempts to cause the death of the victim or another person in the course of the same criminal episode;
2. by acts or words places the victim in fear that death, serious bodily injury, or kidnapping will be imminently inflicted on any person;
3. by acts or words occurring in the presence of the victim threatens to cause the death, serious bodily injury, or kidnapping of any person;
4. uses or exhibits a deadly weapon in the course of the same criminal episode;
5. acts in concert with another who engages in conduct described by Subdivision (1) directed toward the same victim and occurring during the course of the same criminal episode; or
6. administers or provides flunitrazepam, otherwise known as rohypnol, gamma hydroxybutyrate, or ketamine to the victim of the offense with the intent of facilitating the commission of the offense.
The minimum term of imprisonment for aggravated sexual assault against a child is 25 years if the victim of the offense is younger than six years of age at the time the offense is committed; or the victim of the offense is younger than 14 years of age at the time the offense is committed and the actor commits the offense in a manner described by Subsection (a)(2)(A).
The law as it appears in the statute
Tex. Penal Code ß 22.021. Aggravated Sexual Assault
(a) A person commits an offense:
(1) if the person:
(A) intentionally or knowingly:
(i) causes the penetration of the anus or sexual organ of another person by any means, without that person’s consent;
(ii) causes the penetration of the mouth of another person by the sexual organ of the actor, without that person’s consent; or
(iii) causes the sexual organ of another person, without that person’s consent, to contact or penetrate the mouth, anus, or sexual organ of another person, including the actor; or
(B) intentionally or knowingly:
(i) causes the penetration of the anus or sexual organ of a child by any means;
(ii) causes the penetration of the mouth of a child by the sexual organ of the actor;
(iii) causes the sexual organ of a child to contact or penetrate the mouth, anus, or sexual organ of another person, including the actor;
(iv) causes the anus of a child to contact the mouth, anus, or sexual organ of another person, including the actor; or
(v) causes the mouth of a child to contact the anus or sexual organ of another person, including the actor; and
(2) if:
(A) the person:
(i) causes serious bodily injury or attempts to cause the death of the victim or another person in the course of the same criminal episode;
(ii) by acts or words places the victim in fear that death, serious bodily injury, or kidnapping will be imminently inflicted on any person;
(iii) by acts or words occurring in the presence of the victim threatens to cause the death, serious bodily injury, or kidnapping of any person;
(iv) uses or exhibits a deadly weapon in the course of the same criminal episode;
(v) acts in concert with another who engages in conduct described by Subdivision (1) directed toward the same victim and occurring during the course of the same criminal episode; or
(vi) administers or provides flunitrazepam, otherwise known as rohypnol, gamma hydroxybutyrate, or ketamine to the victim of the offense with the intent of facilitating the commission of the offense;
(B) the victim is younger than 14 years of age; or
(C) the victim is an elderly individual or a disabled individual.
(b) In this section:
(1) “Child” has the meaning assigned by Section 22.011(c).
(2) “Elderly individual” and “disabled individual” have the meanings assigned by Section 22.04(c).
(c) An aggravated sexual assault under this section is without the consent of the other person if the aggravated sexual assault occurs under the same circumstances listed in Section 22.011(b).
(d) The defense provided by Section 22.011(d) applies to this section.
(e) An offense under this section is a felony of the first degree.
(f) The minimum term of imprisonment for an offense under this section is increased to 25 years if:
(1) the victim of the offense is younger than six years of age at the time the offense is committed; or
(2) the victim of the offense is younger than 14 years of age at the time the offense is committed and the actor commits the offense in a manner described by Subsection (a)(2)(A).
What makes a Sexual Assault of a Child Charge “Aggravated?”
The offense of Sexual Assault of a Child is defined by Texas Penal Code Sec. 22.011. Basically, the offense involves sexual activity with a person under 17 years of age. Sexual Assault of a Child is Aggravated if the child is under 14 years of age, if a deadly weapon is used or serious bodily injury is threatened. Sexual Assault of a Child is, in most cases, a Second Degree Felony. (2-20 years.) Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child is a First Degree Felony. (5 to 99 years or life.) If the child was younger than 6 if the child was under six at the time of the offense or there was violence or a threat of violence involved.
What is Indecency with a Child?
Indecency with a Child is defined by Texas Penal Code Sec. 21.11 as either engaging in sexual contact with a child or exposure of one’s anus or genitals to a child under 17 or causing the child to expose his or her anus or genitals to the actor with the intent to arouse or gratify someone sexually. Sexual contact is basically touching of the genitals with intent to arouse or gratify someone sexually. Note that some forms of genital contact may be Sexual Assault of a Child. Indecency with a Child by Contact in most circumstances is a Second Degree Felony. (2 to 20 years.) Indecency with a Child by Exposure is a Third Degree Felony. (2 to 10 years.)
Does the Age of the Accused Matter?
It is an affirmative defense to Indecency with a Child and Sexual Assault of a Child that the actor was not more than three years older than the child, and did not have a prior conviction for certain sexual offenses, and the child was older than 14 and was not related to the actor.
What Should I do if I am Contacted by the Police to Speak to them About an Allegation Against You of Child Sexual Abuse?
The first thing to do is to get a skilled criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible. We see may individuals that have placed themselves at a serious disadvantage by speaking with police investigators without the assistance of counsel. Most people have no idea how coercive police interrogations are. Many individuals come away from an intensive interrogation having said things that were not true. If you are contacted by the police to discuss an allegation of child sexual abuse (or any other type of allegation) you should immediately contact Houston Criminal Lawyer Charles Johnson. You and Attorney Johnson can make a decision about whether you should speak to the police at all. If your lawyer advises you to speak to the police, he can be with you to make sure that the questioning is fairly conducted.
How Can I Defend Myself Against a False Accusation of Child Sexual Abuse?
Houston Sexual Assault Lawyer Charles Johnson will investigate your case factually and prepare a defense. It is important to determine why the child has made the accusation. Was the child influenced by an adult? Did the allegations result from improper questioning of the child by authorities? Experts may be added to the defense team to explain to the jury circumstances that could lead to false accusations.
Does Possession of Child Pornography Violate Both State and Federal Law?
Yes. Possession of Child Pornography is prohibited by both Texas law and federal law. Child pornography cases are investigated by local law enforcement, The Texas Office of the Attorney General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, United States Postal Inspectors and other agencies depending on how the images were discovered. Sometimes state law enforcement officials will begin an investigation but refer the case to the United States Attorney’s Office for prosecution in federal court.
How Can I Defend Myself Against an Accusation of Possession of Child Pornography?
In the age of the Internet, the vast majority of child pornography cases involve digital images found on computer hard drives. The defense lawyer’s first focus is on whether the discovery of the alleged illegal images was in violation of the constitutional rights of the accused. Also, the evidence must show that the accused knew that the images were on the computer hard drive. Examination of the computer’s drive by a forensic expert can sometimes uncover information about who may have place the images on the drive or whether they were intentionally placed there. Further, sometimes the evidence in the case does not prove that the images were of actual children rather than computer generated or altered images. Again, trained experts are needed to make this determination.
Laws in Texas Regarding Sexual Assault of a Child
Child sexual assault is a serious criminal offense in Texas.
Any kind of sexual conduct that harms children, whether physically, emotionally or both, is strictly prohibited in Texas. This includes sexual assault on a child, which is considered particularly heinous in the state. Consequently, engaging in these acts or failing to report this kind of abuse is a serious criminal offense, punishable to the full extent of the law.
Outlawed Acts
Texas Family Code Chapter 261 outlaws any sexual conduct directed at or involving minors as well as failure to report these acts. This includes “fondling, lewd or lascivious exposure or behavior, intercourse, sodomy, oral copulation, penetration of a genital or anal opening by a foreign object, child pornography, child prostitution and any other sexual conduct harmful to a child’s mental, emotional or physical welfare,” according to the website of the Texas Attorney General. Violators are prosecuted to the same extent whether or not children consent to these acts.
Criminal Penalties
Sexual assault and child sex abuse carries severe penalties. Typically, Texas law classifies these offenses as felonies. Additionally, there are specific categories of felonies that different sexual violations fall into in Texas. As of 2010 and according to Texas Penal Code, indecent exposure to a child is a third-degree felony, punishable by 2-10 years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines, while aggravated sexual assault on a child is a first-degree felony punishable by up to 99 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. (See References 2 and 4)
Offender Registration
Persons convicted of child sexual assault are required to register with law enforcement officials in Texas. Names and information regarding these convicted sexual offenders are then placed in an online database. This database is considered public record, and any member of the community may view it.
Longer Prison Terms
A series of laws known as Ashley’s Laws were enacted by the Texas legislature in late 1990s to increase penalties for those convicted of child sexual assault. Under these laws, offenders are required to serve at least 50 percent of a prison sentence before being granted parole, though they typically end up serving 80 percent of a sentence.
Harsher Penalties
Also in accordance with Ashley’s Laws, those convicted of child sexual assault in Texas who have been proven to be repeat offenders may face harsher penalties for continued sexual offenses. For example, a repeat child sexual abuser convicted of a second-degree felony may be sentenced with the same penalties as a first-degree felony under these laws. Additionally, a “two-strikes” provision was added to Texas state law for child sex offenders. Normally, a person convicted of three felonies in Texas is automatically sentenced to life in prison. This provision allows for an automatic life sentence for only two felony convictions of child sexual assault.
Mandatory Treatment
Finally, Ashley’s Laws also make it a legal requirement for convicted child sex offenders to undergo treatment in Texas. Because many traditional forms of treatment have proven ineffective in reducing child sexual abuse recidivism rates, some alternative treatments may be used, including certain behavioral modification programs. Additionally, tests may be administered to monitor progress, including the “plethysmograph” test, which monitors sexual arousal when presented with certain materials.
Sexual Assault of a Child: Hire Houston Criminal Defense Attorney Charles Johnson
- In Texas, for purposes of the Sexual Assault of a Child and Indecency with a Child crimes, a child does not become an adult until age 17. For other sexual-related offenses, including Possession of Child Pornography and Sexual Performance of a Child, the age of an adult is 18 years.
- In Texas, it is not a defense that the accused did not know the child’s real age. So, the alleged victim could have lied about her age to the accused and the accused will still face criminal charges.The alleged victim cannot legally consent to sexual relations unless the alleged victim is 14 years of age or older and there is only a 3 year or less difference between the ages of the alleged victim and the accused.
- In Texas, only one eye-witness, the alleged victim, is sufficient for conviction, so long as the jury believes the alleged victim beyond a reasonable doubt.
- In Texas, neither genital trauma nor DNA evidence is required for a conviction.
- In Texas, voluntary intoxication is not a defense. So, if the accused goes to a party, gets drunk and sleeps with an underage girl, he cannot use his intoxication as a defense to the crime of Sexual Assault of a Child.
- In Texas, each separate sexual act can be separately charged within one indictment and, if there is a conviction, each Count can be stacked or served consecutively.
With these types of sexual offenses, there are many other legal issues involved. If a person is charged with sexual assault of a child, possession of child pornography or any type of sex offense, it is important to retain a criminal defense attorney who is experienced defending Texas sex offenses.
If you or a loved one has been charged with the sexual assault of a child, it is important that you contact an experience defense attorney immediately. The consequences for the sexual assault of a child if convicted can be several years in prison and the requirement to register on the sex offender registry. It is never a good idea to represent yourself in court. In a case like this, it is especially important that you find an experienced defense lawyer right away. Even if you have not been charged yet, it would be helpful for you to contact us via phone, anytime night or day, for a free consultation. The defense attorneys at the Charles Johnson Law Firm have had extraordinary success in defending serious cases such as the sexual assault of a child as well as other sex crimes. There are different levels of charges as well as different penalties for charges of sexual assault of a child. During consultation we can explain to you the details of what is possible in your specific case once you provide us with details regarding the matter. Contact Houston Sex Crimes Lawyer Charles Johnson directly at (713) 222-7577 today for a free of charge consultation.
