Historically, statutory rape laws prohibit sexual conduct between an adult and a person under the age of consent. These laws are premised on the notion that persons under the age of consent, female or male, are incapable to consenting to…
Category: Sex Crimes
2017
Category: Criminal Law | Sex Crimes
Legal scholars and sources, such as Black’s Law Dictionary, provide two definitions of a mistrial: first, a trial is brought to an end by the judge before a determination on the merits has been made because a procedural error or…
2017
Category: Illegal Pornography | Indecency With A Child
There was a time when federal sentencing was rather straightforward. A convicted defendant, either through a guilty plea or a jury verdict, appeared before a judge to face sentencing. The judge would consider a pre-sentence investigation report, entertain suggestions made…
2017
Category: Sex Crimes
The sexual assault scandal at Baylor University is still a dark cloud hanging over its football program, its athletics department, and the school as a whole. For those who don’t know the whole story, a lawsuit was filed in early…
2017
Category: Illegal Pornography | Internet Sex Crimes
Vicki is a victim of child pornography. It began when she was 10 years of age. Pictures and videos depicting her bound, raped and sodomized was, and continues to be, widely distributed on the Internet. Her pornography became known in…
2017
Category: Indecency With A Child | Sex Crimes | Sexual Abuse
In an August 15, 2012 post, we pointed out that “common law has long recognized the fundamental principle that an accused is entitled to be tried solely on the criminal charge leveled against him by the State; that he should…
2017
Category: Illegal Pornography | Sex Crimes
Most people think of “distributing” child pornography as a large-scale operation that allows viewers access child pornographic images and videos either by hosting files on a website or through using a file-sharing service.
In reality, though, it takes a…
2017
Category: Appeals | Criminal Law | Sex Crimes
The law is as much about procedure as it is about substance. Even the most seasoned criminal defense attorney can default on a critical issue by not following the strict rules of trial procedure. This issue was underscored in a…
2017
Category: Federal Criminal Law | Sex Crimes
The New York Times reported in October 2015 that the State of Minnesota civilly commits more sex offenders per capita than any other state in the nation. The Times said the state has committed more than 700 sex offenders over…
2017
Category: Criminal Law | Illegal Pornography | Internet Sex Crimes
Texas Penal Code § 21.15(b)(1) made it a crime to photograph someone “without the person’s consent” and “with intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person.”
In 2014, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in Ex…