Tennessee Criminal Lawyer Blog

Tennessee criminal lawyers understand that everyone has charged feelings about sex crimes and sex offenders. Unlike other criminal offenses, even an unsubstantiated accusation of a sex crime will bring your life to a halt. Sex crimes create a harsh and unforgiving social-stigma associated with the offender that is difficult to repair. Your reputation in the community will be severely tarnished while finding employment is nearly impossible.

Sex offender penalties can include long prison sentences. Once the offender is released from incarceration, he or she may not start a new life and forget the past in the state of Tennessee. Convicted sex offenders must be on the sexual offender registry pursuant to the Tennessee Sexual Offender and Violent Sexual Offender Registration, Verification, and Tracking Act of 2004. The registration is the modern-day scarlet letter. The offender will be forced to check in with his or her local law enforcement agency periodically and be subjected to having his or her photograph placed upon a public website. The frequency and length of reporting depends upon the person’s classification as either a sexual offender or violent sexual offender. A sexual offender is a person convicted of any sexual offense listed below:

• Sexual battery
• Statutory rape
• Aggravated prostitution
• Sexual exploitation of a minor
• Incest
• False imprisonment where the victim is a minor, except when committed by a parent of such minor
• Indecent exposure upon the 3rd conviction
• Spousal sexual battery

A violent sexual offender is a person convicted of a violent sexual offense listed below:
• Rape
• Aggravated Rape
• Aggravated Sexual Battery
• Rape of a child
• Attempt to commit rape
• Aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor
• Especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor
• Aggravated kidnapping where the victim is a minor, except when committed by a parent of such minor
• Especially aggravated kidnapping where the victim is a minor, except when committed by a parent of such minor
• Sexual battery by an authority figure
• Solicitation of a minor
• Spousal rape
• Aggravated spousal rape
• Criminal exposure to HIV

Violent sexual offenders must report quarterly while sexual offenders must report annually. The length of the registration requirements between sexual offenders and violent sexual offenders are drastic. If you are a convicted sexual offender, you can file a request to terminate the registration requirements after 10 years. If you are a convicted violent sexual offender, the registration period is for life.

Your Tennessee criminal attorney should be experienced in sex crime cases. These types of cases have special considerations that affect everyone involved. Allegations are easy to make, but sometimes difficult to disprove. Our Tennessee lawyers handle all types of sexual offenses including sexual battery, statutory rape, and rape in the Knoxville, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg areas.