If you’ve been convicted of sexual assault, there are many negative personal and professional impacts you could be facing, especially if you don’t team up with the right sex crimes defense attorney.
In the state of Texas, sexual assault crimes are considered a felony. You could be facing up decades in prison in addition to hefty fines. Depending on your exact charge, you will face different possible consequences.
Types of Sex Crimes
There are varying types of sex crimes with varying degrees of severity.
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Sexual assault: this is known as a first- or second-degree felony, depending on the specific actions of the assaulter as well as the age of the victim
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Prostitution and solicitation: this can be either a misdemeanor or a felony
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Indecent exposure and public lewdness: the first is considered a class B misdemeanor, while the latter is a class A misdemeanor.
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Revenge porn: the charge for this crime has recently been made more severe, which is now a state jail felony
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Child pornography: this will result in a first- or second-degree felony, and a third-degree felony if it’s your first offense
Felony and Misdemeanor Punishments
The punishments for felony-level sex crimes in Texas are as follows:
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First-degree felony: 5 to 99 years or life in prison with fines up to $10,000
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Second-degree felony: 2 to 20 years in prison with fines up to $10,000
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Third-degree felony: 2 to 10 years in prison with fines up to $10,000
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State jail felony: 180 days to 2 years in state jail with fines up to $10,000
The punishments for misdemeanor-level sex crimes in Texas are as follows:
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Class C misdemeanor: fine up to $500
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Class B misdemeanor: up to 180 days in jail with the possibility of fines up to $2,000
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Class A misdemeanor: up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000
Professional and Personal Consequences
Aside from potential jail time and hefty fines, there are many other consequences you may face both personally and professionally in your daily life. One of the hurdles includes registering as a sex offender; your name, picture, workplace, and place of residence will be put in a national database. Depending on your specific case, the registration may be temporary or permanent.
You may also be facing employment restrictions, either due to being legally barred from having certain job positions or because you face judgment and stigmatization due to your criminal record.
Housing restrictions are another consequence you may face, which means you may not be able to legally live in certain locations or buildings and might have housing applications rejected because of background checks.
You may also be hit with other limitations including not being able to use social media, not being legally allowed to own a gun, struggling with gaining citizenship, or even being barred from securing custody rights over your children.
It’s clear that the effects of receiving a sexual assault last far beyond a prison sentence or fine. It’s not uncommon to be faced with severe societal backlash and harm to your personal relationships as well as reputation.
Contact Our Sex Crimes Law Firm Today
If you were convicted of any type of sexual assault, you’ll have the highest odds of beating the charges if you work with a skilled attorney. The Law Office of Jesse Hernandez has helped countless individuals beat or lessen their charges.
For a criminal defense lawyer in Houston, we encourage you to contact our office.
Houston Office: 3663 N. Sam Houston Parkway East, Office 607, Houston, TX, 77032
San Antonio Office: 3107 Broadway Street, San Antonio, Texas 78209. (210) 672-1435.
Austin Office: 2025 Guadalupe Street Suite 260, Austin, Texas 78705. (512) 955-5871.
