Orangeburg County Sex Crimes Lawyer

In both criminal and interpersonal contexts, allegations of sex-based criminal offenses can have severe and life-threatening repercussions. Even if a defendant’s criminal case does not result in a conviction, their association with a crime of this nature could do irreversible damage to their personal and professional prospects, and convictions often result in felony-level sanctions that include steep fines and years of imprisonment in state jail.

No matter what type of sex crime you are facing charges for, you should get in touch with an Orangeburg County sex crimes lawyer as soon as you learn of the accusations against you. Prosecutors in the state of South Carolina take these offenses very seriously, and you will likely have a hard time defending your best interests without guidance from an experienced defense attorney.

Degrees of Criminal Sexual Conduct

South Carolina state law defines three distinct degrees of criminal sexual conduct, all of which involve someone subjecting another individual to sexual battery, and all of which are felony offenses. According to S.C. Code §16-3-651(h), sexual battery may entail vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse, or any intrusion whatsoever into a sexual orifice with any object or body part without a valid medical rationale from doing so.

Third-degree conduct is the least severe variant of this offense, involving sexual battery committed either using force or against someone known to the perpetrator to be too mentally incapacitated or physically helpless to consent to sex. As per S.C. Code §16-3-654, a conviction for this offense could lead to a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.

According to S.C. Code §16-3-653, criminal sexual conduct becomes a second-degree offense if it involves aggravated coercion. First-degree criminal sexual conduct is sexual battery involving aggravated force, occurring during the commission of another offense like burglary or kidnapping, or involving the use of intoxicating controlled substances by the perpetrator to physically or mentally incapacitate their target. Convictions for these offenses may result in prison sentences up to 20 years and up to 30 years at most, respectively.

S.C. Code §16-3-655 criminalizes various degrees of illicit sexual contact and/or battery involving minors and allows for a maximum penalty of life in prison following a conviction for first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor. An Orangeburg County sex crimes attorney could provide guidance and legal support to an individual facing charges under any of these statutes.

Sex Offender Registration Requirements

In addition to potential prison time and the loss of various civil rights, felony sex crime convictions in South Carolina generally also require registration as a sex offender. Depending on their prior criminal history and the exact offense they committed, a defendant convicted of a sex crime may fall into one of three tiers when it comes to registration as a sex offender, each of which has increasingly strict requirements for updating registry information and remaining listed in the registry.

Tier 1 offenders must update their registration information in person once every year and remain registered for 15 years after their conviction, Tier 2 offenders must update their information every six months and remain registered for 25 years, and Tier 3 offenders must appear to update their information every three months and remain registered for life. A sex crimes lawyer in Orangeburg County about what tier a particular conviction might put an individual into.

Speak with an Orangeburg County Sex Crimes Attorney Today

No matter what history you have or do not have of previous criminal convictions, a single sex crime conviction could permanently alter the course of your life. All variants of criminal sexual conduct are felonies in South Carolina, and most other sex crimes—including those pertaining to the possession, distribution, and/or creation of child pornography—are as well.

Fortunately, help is available in the form of an experienced Orangeburg County sex crimes defense lawyer. Call today to schedule a consultation.