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SEXUAL ASSAULT ATTORNEY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS

If you have been charged with sexually related offense in Houston, Texas, call our office at 281-868-8352 or fill out a consultation request form. We answer phones 24/7.

SEXUAL ASSAULT LAWYER IN HOUSTON, TEXAS

If convicted of a sexually oriented crime, you may also have to register as a sex offender. It is critical that you speak with a knowledgeable attorney to discuss your best path forward. Our Houston criminal defense attorneys are ready to fight for you. If you have been charged with sexual assault in Houston, call our office so we can help. Our in-house investigation team and skilled defense lawyers are on stand-by ready to answer your questions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

WHAT IS SEXUAL ASSAULT IN TEXAS?

Sexual assault in Texas includes: 

Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 22.011. Sexual Assault (Second Degree Felony)

  • (a) A person commits an offense if :
    • (1) the person intentionally or knowingly:
      • (A) causes the penetration of the anus or sexual organ of another person by any means, without that person's consent;
      • (B) causes the penetration of the mouth of another person by the sexual organ of the actor, without that person's consent; or
      • (C) causes the sexual organ of another person, without that person's consent, to contact or penetrate the mouth, anus, or sexual organ of another person, including the actor;​

Aggravated Sexual Assault ​

Sexual assault becomes a first degree felony punishable by up to 99 years or life in prison and up to a $10,000 fine when certain criteria are met. A person commits the offense of aggravated sexual assault if all elements of sexual assault are met and they:  

  • cause serious bodily injury
  • attempt to cause death of the victim during the same criminal episode
  • ​by acts or words places the victim in fear that any person will become the victim of an offense under Section 20A.02(a)(3), (4), (7), or (8) or that death, serious bodily injury, or kidnapping will be imminently inflicted on any person.
  • by acts or words occurring in the presence of the victim threatens to cause any person to become the victim of an offense under Section 20A.02(a)(3), (4), (7), or (8) or to cause the death, serious bodily injury, or kidnapping of any person
  • uses or exhibits a deadly weapon in the course of the same criminal episode;
  • The victim is younger than 14 years of age, regardless of whether the person knows the age of the victim at the time of the offense
  •  the victim is an elderly individual, or a disabled individual.

What Does Consent Mean in Texas? ​

Consent may be the most thought of defense when it comes to these kinds of charges. Instead of asking what consent is, it is of more use to answer what consent is not. Section 22 of the Texas Penal Code defines what it means to be "without the consent of the other person": 

  •  the actor compels the other person to submit or participate by the use of physical force, violence, or coercion​
  • the other person has not consented and the actor knows the other person is unconscious or physically unable to resist;
  • the actor knows that as a result of mental disease or defect the other person is at the time of the sexual assault incapable either of appraising the nature of the act or of resisting it;
  • the other person has not consented and the actor knows the other person is unaware that the sexual assault is occurring;
  • the actor has intentionally impaired the other person's power to appraise or control the other person's conduct by administering any substance without the other person's knowledge;
  • the actor compels the other person to submit or participate by threatening to use force or violence against any person, and the other person believes that the actor has the ability to execute the threat;
  • the actor is a public servant who coerces the other person to submit or participate;
  • the actor compels the other person to submit or participate by threatening to use force or violence against the other person or to cause harm to the other person, and the other person believes that the actor has the present ability to execute the threat;

SEXUAL ASSAULT LAWYER IN HOUSTON, TEXAS

We have attorneys ready to answer your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you have been charged with sexual assault, call our office at (281) 868-8352 to speak with our Houston sexual assault attorneys.

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Vela Law Firm is committed to answering your questions about law issues in Texas.

We'll gladly discuss your case with you at your convenience. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

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