Alabama has many offenses that are designated explicitly as sexual offenses.
So exactly what constitutes a sex offense?
Alabama has a laundry list with 39 entries as to what exactly is considered a sexual offense. This list can be found at Alabama code section 15 – 20 A – 5.
Sexual Offenses are defined under Alabama's sexual offender and community notification act or "SORNA" for short.
This list contains some of the most common sexual offenses such as rape, sodomy, sexual abuse, child pornography, and incest.
You should also be aware that other crimes may not appear to be sexual crimes but are still designated as such; for example, unlawful imprisonment, kidnapping, and human trafficking.
Additionally, under Alabama law, any criminal offense can be a sexual offense if there is a finding that the crime was sexually motivated.
For example, years ago, before this law was enacted, I had a client who was burglarizing women's apartments. I'm going to call him the "Panty Raider" because he burglarized there apartments with the sole intention of stealing their soiled panties. His crimes were sexually motivated because he derived sexual pleasure from stealing panties.
Under current Alabama law, assuming the prosecutor established these crimes were sexually motivated, Mr. Panty Raider would be a sex offender. Burglary is not typically a crime that falls under the sex offender laws; however, his burglaries were sexually motivated and , under current law he would be a registered as a sex offender.
In short, any crime that is defined as a sexual offense or any crime that has sexual motivation as a motivating factor can constitute a sex crime. This is important because a conviction for any sexual offense or sexually motivated offense means the person convicted is going to be a registered sex offender, and, typically, the public will be notified of the conviction.
People who are subject to these laws have their lives severely impacted. These laws determine where you can or can't live. They determine who you may or may not live with. They even dictate whether or not you can hold certain jobs. Additionally, there are specific legal issues that apply to convicted sex offenders as well as laws specifically aimed at convicted sex offenders.
If you or a loved one are accused of a sex crime, it's wisest to obtain competent legal counsel as quickly as you can. If you'd like our help, just contact us here: