Get the Facts About Statutory Rape Laws in Texas

Posted By The Law Offices of Jeffrey C. Grass || 13-May-2015

Statutory rape involves sexual activity between a minor and an adult. Under Texas law, statutory rape occurs when a person who is 18 or older engages in sexual activity with a person who is younger than 18. It does not matter if the sex was consensual, since minors are presumed to be incapable of giving their consent. Additionally, prosecutors do not need to prove that the act occurred through violence or the threat of force. Since a conviction of statutory rape or any other type of sex crime can adversely affect your life for years to come, it’s in your best interests to promptly retain the counsel of a criminal defense attorney.

Types of Sex Crimes
Under Texas law, statutory rape may involve sexual penetration and/or sexual contact. There are different categories of criminal offenses that an individual accused of statutory rape may be charged with. For example, a person might be charged with sexual assault for alleged sexual penetration between a person 17 years of age or younger and a person who is at least three years older than the victim. Other offenses are aggravated sexual assault and indecency with a child.

Defenses to Sex Crimes
Many sex crimes defendants try to defend themselves by claiming that the alleged victim misrepresented his or her age and that the defendants were unaware of the true age. This is not considered a legally acceptable defense. Instead, a criminal defense attorney might defend a client by saying that the offense never occurred or that someone else committed the offense.

Exceptions to Statutory Rape
Texas law allows for some exceptions to statutory rape. For example, if a couple is legally married, statutory rape cannot occur even if one of the spouses is a minor and the other is an adult. However, one spouse may still bring charges of marital rape.

The criminal defense team at the Law Offices of Jeffrey C. Grass brings years of experience and carefully honed litigation skills to each sex crimes case. If you or a loved one has been accused of statutory rape, get the best legal defense possible by calling our criminal law firm at . Our criminal defense attorney in Dallas aggressively defends the rights of the accused.