Savannah Sexual Assault and Battery Attorney
If you have been accused of sexual assault or sexual battery, you need to be proactive about building your defense. It’s natural to believe that the truth will prevent you from being convicted if you didn’t commit the crime. But that is not always the case. Your side of the story needs to be heard, but you need an attorney to help you navigate these situations. Without an attorney, you run of the risk of having your statements twisted by the prosecution and used against you in court.
Sex crimes carry a serious stigma, and even an allegation can have serious repercussions on your life. Your job, relationships, and standing in the community can all be damaged before you are even formally charged with the crime. Additionally, these crimes carry significant legal penalties, including prison sentences, hefty fines, and a label as a “sex offender.”
Legally Defining Sex Crimes
Sex crimes are a broad category that actually consists of several different offenses with distinct legal definitions.
- • Sexual Assault is sexual contact between two non-married people in situations where one of the people has disciplinary authority over the other. This if often applied to teachers who have a sexual relationship with a student or other similar situations. The sexual contact can be almost any contact between intimate body parts for the gratification of one party.
- • Sexual Battery is intentionally making contact with the “intimate parts” of another person without consent. Intimate parts include genital area, breasts, buttocks, anus, groin, or inner thigh.
- • Aggravated Sexual Battery is penetration of another person’s sex organ with a foreign object that is not the genitals or sex organs of the other party.
Sexual Assault & Battery Penalties
Sex crimes are extremely serious and carry harsh penalties for anyone who is convicted of them.
- • Sexual Assault will lead to a prison sentence that lasts between 1 and 25 years and a $100,000 fine.
- • Sexual Assault of a victim under 16 years old will lead to a prison sentence that lasts between 25 and 50 years and mandatory registration as a Sex Offender.
- • Multiple offense Sexual Battery will lead to a prison sentence that lasts between 1 and 5 years and mandatory registration as a Sex Offender.
- • Aggravated Sexual Battery will lead to a prison sentence with a minimum of 25 years and can potentially convey a life sentence. It will also lead to probation for the rest of the person’s life and mandatory registration as a Sex Offender.
Defending Against Sex Crime Charges
At the Claiborne Firm, we know that no case is unwinnable. Your side of the story matters and we will help you tell it in the best way possible. In many instances, our firm has been able to prove that the accusation was false, that no sexual contact occurred, or even that the act in question was consensual or due to mistaken identity.
We find ways to help our clients and make a difference.
If you are facing charges or being investigated for a sex crime, it is important to get professional legal advice as quickly as possible. Our firm offers free, no-obligation consultations to get you on the right track. Contact us today.
Call (912) 351-8775 or Schedule a Free Case Evaluation Online