4th Degree Sex Offense In Maryland Montgomery Lawyers

Sex offense, known also as sexual assault in other states, is the force of another person to engage in undesirable sexual acts. Sex crimes in the state of Maryland, are divided into two divisions, which consist of rape and sex offense. Sex offenses are further classified into four sections based on the severity of the sex crimes, these sections are 1st degree sex offenses, 2nd degree sex offenses, 3rd degree sex offenses, lastly and the least sever sex cases are the 4th degree sex offenses.

The sexual acts involved in sex offenses may be any or all of the following acts mentioned below:

• The penetration, however faintly, another person’s genital opening or anus.
• Analingus
• Cunnilingus
• Fellatio
• Anal intercourse

A person who commits or attempts any of the above acts may be convicted to a felony by the court of the state of Maryland and sentenced to jail. However, vaginal intercourse does not fit under the category of sex offenses, as vaginal intercourse is considered as rape.

A 4th-degree sex offense include any of the following acts mentioned:

• Having sexual contact with another person without his or her consent.
• Performing sexual acts or having vaginal intercourse with a child of 14 or 15 years of age and that the defendant is at least four years older than the victim.
• A person of authority in a school, for instance, a coach, principle, teacher, or counselor who’s age does not go less than 21 years older than the victim, engage in a sexual act, sexual contact, or vaginal intercourse with a student under the age of 18 years old.

A person who violates any of the above mentioned acts is considered to be a 4th degree sex offender and will have to face penalties such as jail time or/and pay a specific amount of fine.

The penalties provided by the court of the state of Maryland, for a person who commits a 4th degree sex offense are one year maximum of jail time and a fine not exceeding $1,000. Usually, a 4th degree sex offense is considered as a misdemeanor crime. However, if the defendant has previously committed other sex crimes and has been registered as a sex offender, then the sentence is increased to three years of jail time, instead of one year, and a fine of up to $1,000. The penalties of a 4th degree sex offense are much more less than the first three degrees of sex offenses as the sex crime is not as severe as the previous three sex crimes.

Nevertheless, as much as the 4 degrees of sex offenses differ from each other regarding the severity of the sex crime and the difference in penalties and fines, a person who commits a sex crime, no matter the severity of it, is obligated by the court of Maryland to register as a sex offender and this will have great impact on where the person may live and his or her work. It is always recommended that an attorney should be hired to try to reduce the charges of the sex offender.

If you need a Maryland sex offense lawyer to help you with your sex offense case in Maryland, call us at 888-437-7747. Our Maryland sex offense attorneys can help you.