West Texas Criminal Defense Attorney for Sex Offenses

Texas law recognizes a wide range of sex offenses. While the severity of different sexual offenses greatly varies, even a low-level sex crime conviction can land you on the National Sex Offender Registry. Sex offender registration can have an extreme impact on your life, including limiting where you can live and work. Some people who are convicted of sex crimes will have to register as sex offenders for the rest of their lives.

If the district attorney’s office has issued criminal charges against you for a sex offense in Lubbock County or the surrounding areas, don’t wait to find a criminal lawyer. You need an experienced defense attorney on your side who has extensive experience fighting for their clients’ freedoms. Contact me today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case as soon as possible.

Types of Sex Offenses

Along with prostitution, Texas criminal law includes four basic categories of sex offenses:

Types of Sex Offenses
Sex Offenses Involving Nonconsensual Sexual Contact
Sex Offenses Involving Invasion of Privacy
Sex Offenses Involving Children
Sex Offenses Involving Obscenity, Lewdness, and Exposure

Each of these categories includes a number of different crimes that account for the varying severity of these types of offenses, allowing police officers to arrest people for an array of criminal behaviors.

Sex Offenses Involving Nonconsensual Sexual Contact

The Texas statutes that cover the criminal offenses involving nonconsensual sexual conduct do not use the words “rape” or “statutory rape”. Instead, rapes are referred to as “sexual assaults”.

Texas sex offenses involving nonconsensual sexual contact include:

Sex Offenses Involving Nonconsensual Sexual Contact
Sexual Assault — State Jail Felony, Second Degree Felony, or First Degree Felony
Aggravated Sexual Assault —First Degree Felony
Indecent Assault —Class A Misdemeanor
Sexual Coercion — State Jail Felony or Third Degree Felony

Relevant Statutes:

Texas Penal Code §22.011— Sexual Assault

Texas Penal Code §22.021— Aggravated Sexual Assault

Texas Penal Code § 22.012— Indecent Assault

Texas Penal Code § 21.18— Sexual Coercion

Sex Offenses Involving Invasion of Privacy

Texas sex offenses involving an invasion of the victim’s privacy include:

Sex Offenses Involving Invasion of Privacy
Invasive Visual Recording —State Jail Felony
Unlawful Disclosure or Promotion of Intimate Visual Material — State Jail Felony
Voyeurism —Class C Misdemeanor, Class B Misdemeanor, or State Jail Felony
Unlawful Electronic Transmission of Sexually Explicit Visual Material —Class C Misdemeanor

Relevant Statutes:

Texas Penal Code §21.15— Invasive Visual Recording

Texas Penal Code § 21.16— Unlawful Disclosure or Promotion of Intimate Visual Material

Texas Penal Code § 21.17— Voyeurism

Texas Penal Code § 21.19— Unlawful Electronic Transmission of Sexually Explicit Visual Material

Sex Offenses Involving Children

Texas sex offenses involving children include:

Sex Offenses Involving Children
Continuous Sexual Abuse of Young Child or Children —First Degree Felony
Indecency With a Child —Third Degree Felony or Second Degree Felony
Improper Relationship Between Educator and Student* —Second Degree Felony
Sale, Distribution, or Display of Harmful Material to Minor —Class A Misdemeanor or Third Degree Felony
Sexual Performance by a Child —Second Degree Felony or First Degree Felony
Employment Harmful to Children —Second Degree Felony or First Degree Felony
Possession or Promotion of Child Pornography —Third Degree Felony, Second Degree Felony, or First Degree Felony
Electronic Transmission of Certain Visual Material Depicting Minor —Class C Misdemeanor, Class B Misdemeanor, or Class A Misdemeanor
Possession or Promotion of Lewd Visual Material Depicting Child —State Jail Felony, Third Degree Felony, or Second Degree Felony

*Does not only apply to children

Relevant Statutes:

Texas Penal Code § 21.02— Continuous Sexual Abuse of Young Child or Children

Texas Penal Code § 21.11— Indecency With a Child

Texas Penal Code § 21.12— Improper Relationship Between Educator and Student

Texas Penal Code §43.24— Sale, Distribution, or Display of Harmful Material to Minor

Texas Penal Code § 43.25— Sexual Performance by a Child

Texas Penal Code § 43.251— Employment Harmful to Children

Texas Penal Code §43.26— Possession or Promotion of Child Pornography

Texas Penal Code § 43.261— Electronic Transmission of Certain Visual Material Depicting Minor

Texas Penal Code § 43.262— Possession or Promotion of Lewd Visual Material Depicting Child

Sex Offenses Involving Obscenity, Lewdness, and Exposure

Texas sex offenses involving obscenity, lewdness, and exposure include:

Sex Offenses Involving Obscenity, Lewdness, and Exposure
Public Lewdness —Class A Misdemeanor
Indecent Exposure —Class B Misdemeanor
Obscene Display or Distribution —Class C Misdemeanor
Obscenity —Class A Misdemeanor or Second Degree Felony

Relevant Statutes:

Texas Penal Code § 21.07 — Public Lewdness

Texas Penal Code § 21.08 — Indecent Exposure

Texas Penal Code §43.22 — Obscene Display or Distribution

Texas Penal Code § 43.23 — Obscenity