Tennessee Criminal Lawyer Blog

Tennessee criminal defense lawyers realize that powerful emotions are involved during any sex crime case. If you are convicted of a sex crime in today’s society, you face serious consequences beyond jail time. A conviction will force you to report to local sheriff’s offices periodically upon release from incarceration. In addition, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) will place your updated photograph on its website for the public to view. Even false accusations of any sex crime may potentially ruin your life.

Rape of a child is one of the most serious sex crimes in Tennessee. The age of the victim is the primary distinction between rape and rape of a child. Rape of a child is the unlawful sexual penetration of a victim by the defendant or the defendant by a victim, if the victim is more than three years of age but less than thirteen years of age.

Rape of a child is a Class A felony, the highest level of felonies.

Stiff penalties accompany a conviction for rape of a child. A person convicted of a first or subsequent violation of the rape of a child statute shall be punished by a minimum period of imprisonment of twenty-five years. The sentence imposed upon any such person may, if appropriate, exceed twenty-five years, but in no case shall it be less than the minimum period of twenty-five years.

The board of probation and parole may require, as a mandatory condition of supervision for any person convicted of rape of a child, that the person be enrolled in a satellite-based monitoring program for the full extent of the person's term of supervision. Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-522 (2007).

If you have been charged with sexual battery, aggravated sexual battery, sexual misconduct, rape, statutory rape, rape of a child, or any other sex crime, contact a criminal defense attorney. Our office handles these charges in East Tennessee including Nashville, Johnson City, Knoxville, Morristown, Sevierville, Newport, Crossville, and Maryville.