Category Archives: Sex Crimes

If you have been charged with a sex crime in Texas, you may feel like the outcome is inevitable and that conviction is certain and your life is over. That is not true. Sex crime charges are reduced, dismissed, and taken to trial with acquittal results in Texas courts. The path to a favorable outcome […]

When people think about the consequences of a sex crime conviction, they think about prison. But for many defendants, the collateral consequences which are the things that happen to your life outside of the courtroom and after the sentence is served are even more devastating than incarceration. A sex crime conviction in Texas can permanently […]

In most criminal cases, a witness cannot testify about what someone else told them. That is called hearsay and it is generally inadmissible. But Texas sex crime cases have a powerful exception to this rule. Under Article 38.072 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, the first adult to whom a child under 18 (or […]

DNA evidence is often presented to juries as the gold standard of forensic proof: definitive, scientific, and beyond question. In sexual assault cases, a DNA match between the defendant and biological material collected from the complainant can seem like an insurmountable piece of evidence. But the reality is more nuanced. DNA evidence can be misinterpreted, […]

In Texas sexual assault cases, the prosecution often relies heavily on evidence collected during a SANE exam which is a forensic medical examination conducted by a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. SANE exam results are presented to juries as scientific evidence of assault, and the SANE nurse often testifies as an expert witness. But SANE exam […]

A significant percentage of sexual assault cases in Texas involve allegations that the complainant was intoxicated at the time of the sexual encounter and was therefore unable to consent. These cases are among the most factually complex in criminal law because they involve competing narratives about what happened during an encounter where both parties may […]

Continuous sexual abuse of a young child or disabled individual (Texas Penal Code §21.02) is one of the most devastating criminal charges that exists in Texas law. It carries a minimum sentence of 25 years in prison with no eligibility for parole until the defendant has served the full 25 years. It is a first-degree […]

Sexting which is sending sexually explicit messages, images, or videos via text message, social media, or other electronic platforms is commonplace in modern relationships. But in Texas, sexting can cross the line into criminal conduct far more easily than most people realize. Depending on the ages of the people involved, the nature of the content, […]

In Texas, the difference between a charge of sexual assault and a charge of aggravated sexual assault can mean the difference between a possible probation sentence and a mandatory prison term of 25 years to life. Understanding what elements elevate a sexual assault charge to an aggravated offense is essential for anyone facing these allegations […]