What is sexual assault?

Sexual assault charges in Arizona should be taken very seriously. Convictions on these charges can lead to significant periods of incarceration, loss of rights and the requirement that convicted parties register with the state’s sex offender registry. For this and other reasons, individuals who have been charged with sex crimes should consider discussing their cases with criminal defense attorneys who represent people charged with sexual assault.

In Arizona, sexual assault has a broad definition. It involves having intercourse or oral sexual contact with a person and without having that person’s consent. Sexual assault charges can be elevated to aggravated sexual assault charges if the alleged perpetrator intended to cause their alleged victim significant harm or if a drug was used to allegedly incapacitate the alleged victim.

Many cases of sexual assault turn on whether the accused did or did not have consent from their alleged victim to engage in the contact that led to the accusation. Under the law, some people cannot give consent to this type of contact; individuals who suffer from mental defects or who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol may fall into this category.

Additionally, a victim may allege that they were deceived into consenting to the act that formed the basis of the sexual assault claim, but these types of matters can be complex and case-specific. What readers of this criminal defense legal blog should take from this post is that sexual assault is a serious crime in Arizona and that those who have been charged with it or a related crime should seek independent legal guidance for the preparation of their own unique defense strategies.