June 2011

Sex crimes covers a broad spectrum of sex-related offenses. In essence, sex crimes involve non-consensual sexual contact. For example, sexual assault typically refers to non-consensual sexual contact, whereas rape involves non-consensual sexual intercourse; however, some states use the terms interchangeably. Sex crimes can range from something such as lewd conduct to more serious charges of child pornography, rape and sex with a minor….

Criminal charges are categorized under state crime andfederal crime in the United States. By far the majority of crimes are considered state crimes, therefore, they are handled in state courts. However, certain crimes are “federal offenses,” which are typically prosecuted in the federal courts. The federal courts are established under the U.S. Constitution to handle disputes involving laws which were passed by Congress….