Sex Crimes in Middlesex County

Sex crimes in Middlesex County are criminal sexual offenses such as rape or sexual abuse. Unlike other street crimes such as robbery, sex crimes involve forcing or threatening the victim to engage in unwanted sexual acts. Other forms of sex crimes are prostitution, sexual assault on a child, aggravated indecent assault, and the like.

In Middlesex County, Massachusetts, sex crimes are serious offenses that are punishable with long prison sentences, civil penalties, which can cause severe damages to the victim’s personal and social life. The penalties for sex crimes are dependent on the offender’s criminal history. Punishments for repeat offenders are often stiffer.

What are the Types of Sex Crimes in Middlesex County?

There are various types of sex crimes in Middlesex County, including rape, sexual assault with intent to rape, and so on. Depending on the terms of their conviction, sex offenders are considered sexually dangerous to society and may be committed to the Massachusetts Treatment Center until death.

The types of sex crimes recognized in Middlesex county are

• Rape - This is a type of sexual assault that involves sexual intercourse or any other form of sexual penetration performed without the consent of the victim. Rape can be carried out using physical force, the threat of bodily harm, coercion, or abuse of authority. Sexual assault against a person who cannot consent, such as an unconscious person, is also considered rape. Anyone found guilty of rape in Middlesex County may face life imprisonment in state prison and sex offender registration. Furthermore, an individual guilty of rape while armed would face imprisonment in state prison for not less than ten years. A repeat offender for rape who was also armed will be sentenced to state prison for at least 15 years. Anyone guilty of raping someone incapable of giving consent may be imprisoned for a minimum of ten years.
• Sexual assault with intent to rape - This is the act of assaulting a person with an intention to engage in sexual intercourse against the victim’s will. If found guilty, the offender may be sentenced to life imprisonment and registration as a sex offender.
• Statutory Rape - This term usually refers to adults engaging in natural or unnatural intercourse with a minor or a child below 16. The penalty for statutory rape in Middlesex county is dependent on the age of the child (the victim), the adult (the offender), and other factors. According to the Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 265, Section 22A, such offenders may be sentenced to life imprisonment. The convict may also be regarded as a sexually dangerous person and charged with indefinite detention in a treatment center.
• Indecent assault and battery involve unwanted sexual touching without intercourse. This offense is punishable by a jail term and sex offender registration. The offender will face more severe punishments if the victim is a minor. The Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 265, Section 13H states that anyone found guilty of indecent assault and battery on a 14-year-old or below would be sentenced to state prison for not more than five years. Such individuals may also be sentenced to spend two and a half years in a house of correction or jail.
• Open and gross lewd and lascivious behavior is defined as the act of exposing one’s breasts, buttocks, or genitals in public with the intention to alarm or shock. Anyone found guilty of such an offense may face a 2 to 3 years prison term or pay a fine worth $300, according to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 272, Section 16.
• Distributing or possessing child pornography is the act of deliberately purchasing, possessing, or distributing sexual images of children. Under the Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 272, Section 29C, the offender may be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for a maximum of five years or sent to jail or a house of correction for a maximum of 2 and a half years. The offender may also be required to pay a fine of a minimum of $1,000 and a maximum of $10,000. A first-time offender may be punished with both a jail term and a fine. A second-time offender may be punished by a fine of $5,000 to $20,000 or a five-year prison term or both jail term and fine. For third and subsequent offenses, the convict may be punished by a fine of $10,000 to $30,000 or at least ten years imprisonment in state prison or both fine and jail term.
• Indecent exposure - This is the exposure of one’s private parts offensively to at least one person. The penalty for such an offense could be a fine or a short prison term.

What Crimes Require Sex Offender Registration in Middlesex County, Massachusetts?

According to Massachusetts law, the following offenses require the culprit to register as a sex offender:

• Indecent assault and battery on a child under 14
• Indecent assault ad battery on a mentally retarded person
• Indecent assault and battery on a person age 14 or over
• Rape
• Rape of a child under 16 with force
• Rape and abuse of a child
• Assault of a child with intent to commit rape
• The kidnapping of a child
• Enticing a child under the age of 16 to commit a crime
• Enticing away a person for prostitution or sexual intercourse
• Drugging persons for sexual intercourse
• Inducing a minor into prostitution
• Living off or sharing earnings of a minor prostitute
• Incestuous marriage or intercourse
• Dissemination to a minor matter harmful to a minor
• Posing or exhibiting a child in a state of nudity
• Dissemination of visual material of a child in a state of nudity or sexual conduct
• Possession of child pornography
• Unnatural and lascivious acts with a child under 16
• Aggravated rape
• A second and subsequent conviction for open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior
• A repeat offense of aggravated indecent assault and battery on a child under 14
• A repeat offense of aggravated rape of a child under 16 with force
• A repeat offense of aggravated rape and abuse of a child
• Enticing an under 18 through electronic communication to get involved in human trafficking, commercial sexual activity, or prostitution.
• Trafficking of persons for sex slavery
• Trafficking of a person for sexual slavery upon an under 18
• Second or subsequent violation of human trafficking for sexual servitude.

The Sex Offender Registry Board is in charge of registering sex offenders. The offender must provide information such as their names, aliases (if any), date of birth, place of birth, sex, color, hair color, race, weight, height, eye color, hair color, home, and work addresses, social security number, secondary address. Offenders who are also students would also provide information on their school of learning.

The Sex Offender Registry Board also classifies convicted sex offenders according to the risk and degree of danger they pose to society. Also, the board educates and informs the public on ways to avoid being victims of sex crimes. The Board opens on Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and is at

P.O Box 392

North Billerica, MA 01862

Phone: (978) 740 - 6400

Furthermore, the Sex Offender Registry Board keeps a record of Level 3 sex offenders and Level 2 sex offenders classified as from July 12, 2013. On June 3, 2016, An Act to Improve Public Records to improve Public access to information on sex offenders was signed into law.

What is a Sex Crimes Defense Attorney?

Sex crimes attorneys are specialists with knowledge and experience defending individuals accused of committing sex crimes like rape or sexual abuse of a child or adult.

How does a Sex Crime Defense Attorney Work?

Skilled and experienced sex crime attorneys have different strategies for defending sex crimes, aimed to help the accused counter the allegations or get a reduced sentence if found guilty. The sex crimes attorney may adopt strategies including

• Private investigation - Sex crimes attorneys may investigate their client’s case to uncover relevant facts and find witnesses who may be willing to corroborate their client’s side of the story.
• Plea bargains in sex crimes cases - Plea bargains in a sex crime case help the accused negotiate an agreement with the prosecutor. The defendant pleads guilty to a less serious offense and may get a reduced jail term or avoid registration as a sex offender.
• Pre-trial advocacy and motions - With the help of a proactive sex crime lawyer, a case may never make it to court. The lawyer may be able to suppress evidence obtained illegally or contrary to applicable policies by the prosecution.
• Consent: An alleged victim may wrongly accuse a person of sexual assault when in reality, they had consensual sex. In this case, an attorney who is also a skilled interrogator will be able to get the truth out of the victim. However, consent is not an acceptable defense in a situation where the victim is a child or lacks mental or physical abilities to give consent.
• Lack of intent: An attorney may plead a lack of intent while defending an accused. Essentially claiming that the accused could not have committed the offense since they had no motive or intent to commit the offense. For instance, if the accused accidentally touch the victim in an intimate body part.