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Cincinnati Felony Sexual Assault Lawyer

Have you been charged with felony sexual assault? Call LHA Now. Free consults: (513) 338-1890.

If you are accused of a sex crime in Ohio, the best way to protect and defend yourself is to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney from Luftman, Heck & Associates. We know these types of accusations are frightening. Being falsely accused of sexual assault may also anger you. It is best to not dwell on these emotions or allow them to influence you to make poor decisions. The best way to help yourself is to contact an attorney who can be an experienced and objective voice during the criminal court process.

When you face a felony sex offense, it is even more important that you call a Cincinnati felony sexual assault lawyer as soon as possible. Felony sex crimes in Ohio can be punished with thousands of dollars in fines, years in prison, years of probation, and sex offender registration. The best way to avoid harsh felony sanctions and collateral consequences is to vigorously defend yourself in court. At Luftman, Heck & Associates, we will do just that.

Call us at (513) 338-1890 or contact us online today to schedule a free consultation.

Ohio Sexual Assault Laws

Ohio law does not refer to any specific sex crime as “sexual assault.” Instead, Ohio law prohibits crimes known as rape, sexual battery, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, and gross sexual imposition.

For each of these offenses, you may be charged when:

  • Rape (ORC 2907.02): You performed sexual conduct on another person without their consent, through force, through impairing the victim’s judgment with alcohol or drugs, when the victim was unable to consent due to a disability, or when the victim was younger than 13 years old. Sexual conduct includes vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse, oral sex, and insertion of any object into the vagina or anus, however slight.
  • Sexual Battery (ORC 2907.03): You performed sexual conduct on another person through coercion, when the victim was substantially impaired, when the victim was unaware of the conduct, when the victim mistook you for their spouse, when you are the victim’s natural, adoptive, or stepparent or guardian, when you had a supervisory or disciplinary authority over the victim, or when you were a teacher, coach, cleric, or mental health professional.
  • Unlawful Sexual Conduct with a Minor (ORC 2907.04): You engaged in sexual conduct with another person between the ages of 13 and 16 years old.
  • Gross Sexual Imposition (ORC 2907.05): You performed sexual contact on another or caused one or more victims to have sexual contact with you or others, through force or threat of force, by preventing their resistance with intoxicants, when the victim was substantially impaired due to drugs for a medical or dental treatment, the victim was less than 13 years old, or when the victim had a mental or physical disability and could not resist or consent. Sexual contact includes touching the erogenous zones of another person, including their genitals, pubic region, buttock, thighs, and female breasts, for the purpose of sexually arousing or gratifying you or another person.
  • Felonious Assault with Sexual Motivation (ORC 2903.11(B)): Knowing you had been diagnosed with AIDS, you engaged in sexual conduct with another person without disclosing this fact, you engaged in sexual conduct with a person you know lacks the mental capacity to appreciate the significance of you testing positive for AIDS, or you engaged in sexual conduct with a minor.

If you are accused of committing sexual assault, you need to speak with a sex crimes lawyer right away. You need to know the specific charges against you, the degree of the charge, and the potential penalties. All of these offenses either always are a felony or can be charged as a felony depending on the circumstances of your case. Call our Cincinnati felony sexual assault lawyers right away.

Felony Sexual Assault Charges and Penalties

If you are accused of a sex offense in Ohio, there is a significant chance that you will be charged with a high degree felony offense, such as:

  • Rape: First-degree felony, punishable with between five and 11 years in prison. In certain circumstances, you may face life in prison.
  • Sexual Battery: Third-degree felony, punishable by between one and five years’ imprisonment. If the victim is less than 13 years old, sexual battery is a second-degree felony, which can be sanctioned with between 2 and 8 years in prison.
  • Unlawful Sexual Conduct with a Minor: Fourth-degree felony, punishable by a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 18 months in prison. If you are more than 10 years older than the victim, then this offense is a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years’ incarceration. If you have a previous sex offense on your record, this is a second-degree felony, which can be punished by up to eight years in prison.
  • Gross Sexual Imposition: Fourth-degree felony, punishable by up to 18 months in prison. In several circumstances, it is a third-degree felony, penalized by a maximum of five years’ incarceration.
  • Felonious Assault with Sexual Motivation: Second-degree felony, punishable by a maximum of eight years in prison with a minimum of two years. In certain circumstances, you may face a first-degree felony.

If you are facing any degree of a felony for a sex crime, immediately contact Luftman, Heck & Associates to speak with a Cincinnati felony sexual assault attorney.

Sex Offender Registration

The consequences of a felony sex crime conviction go beyond incarceration. Once you complete your sentence and are released to either return home or enter a community supervision program, you must register as a sex offender. This is a public registration that your neighbors, family members, friends, employers, coworkers, and everyone can see online.

Under Ohio’s current sex offender registration law is divided into three tiers (Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III), which correspond to the crime you committed.

Tier I
Tier I is the lowest tier and includes unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, sexual imposition, gross sexual imposition, voyeurism, stalking, pandering obscenity, and other sex crimes. Requires registration every 12 months for up to 15 years. You may have your registration period reduced to five years, if you successfully complete probation and treatment, and you do not commit another sex offense or felony. You are not subject to community notification.

Tier II
Tier II includes compelling prostitution, pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, gross sexual imposition with a victim under 13, kidnapping with a sexual motivation, and any offense that occurs after you have been classified a Tier I offender. You must register every six months for 25 years. You are not subject to community notification.

Tier III
This tier includes the most serious sex offenses, such as rape, sexual battery, kidnapping of a minor by someone other than a parent, kidnapping of a minor to engage in sexual activity, and felonious assault with sexual motivation. You must register every 90 days for life and you are subject to community or neighborhood notification.

Collateral Consequences of a Felony Sex Crime Conviction

If you are convicted of a felony sex offense, you know to expect imprisonment, fines, probation, and sex offender registration. However, you may not realize how much the stigma of a sex crime on your record will impact your future. You will likely find it difficult to find a place to live. You may not be able to live with family members or friends, and you may have to pay attention to geographic restrictions. You may also be denied rental housing by landlords who are uncomfortable having a convicted sex offender in their apartment building or neighborhood.

You may struggle to obtain work. With a felony sex offense on your record, there are certain positions and industries that are closed to you. Additionally, you will need to disclose the offense when you apply for jobs, which may make employers disregard your application entirely.

In addition to housing and employment issues, you may have limited or supervised visitation with your children, or in certain circumstances, you could lose your parental rights. If you are not a citizen of the U.S., you may face immigration issues, including deportation.

As a convicted felon, you will not be able to own or possess a firearm for the rest of your life.

Contact a Cincinnati Felony Sexual Assault Lawyer Today

If you have been charged with a felony sex crime in Ohio, you need to contact an experienced sex crimes defense lawyer from Luftman, Heck & Associates right away. The potential consequences of a sex crime conviction are too great to handle this case on your own or with a public defender. You deserve to have an attorney who will thoroughly investigate your case and vigorously defend you in court.

Contact Luftman, Heck & Associates today and schedule a free and confidential consultation by calling (513) 338-1890 or submit a request online.

★★★★★
Bradley Groene made an exceptionally difficult situation much easier to handle. He kept me informed of everything that was going to happen and got results for my case far better than I could have hoped for. I would highly recommend him for anyone who finds themselves in legal troubles.