Michigan Sex Crimes Glossary of Terms

Grabel & Associates is a Michigan sex crime defense law firm dedicated to aggressively defending clients facing criminal sex offense charges statewide. Contact our skilled sex crime defense lawyers now if you or a loved one has been accused of a crime in Lansing, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, East Lansing, Grand Rapids, or anywhere else in the state. Under the direction of experienced trial lawyer Scott Grabel, our sex crime defense attorneys will do everything they can to fight for your best interests.

Below is a short list of terms used in sex crime cases, which could be helpful throughout the justice process. If you have been charged with a crime, you need to contact an attorney right away, and our lawyers are available 24/7 to answer any legal questions you may have. Don’t hesitate to contact Grabel & Associates immediately.

Age of Consent: in the state of Michigan, persons must be at least 16 years of age in order to consent to sexual activity.

Appeal: a request to a higher court to review a lower court decision. After you or a loved one has been convicted of a sex offense in Michigan, you may have the right to appeal the verdict or sentence.

Charge: an accusation that has been filed against a person. While a person can be investigated without charges being filed, anyone who has been charged or believes they could be charged in the future should contact a lawyer.

Chat Room: online networks or communities that allow individuals to electronically exchange messages, pictures, and even live video from webcams. Internet sex crimes can result from sexual activity taking place in chat rooms.

Child Abusive Activity: includes child pornography, molestation, rape, sex with a minor, internet sex crime, neglect, and other charges.

Child Molestation: sex acts involving sexual contact with a minor.

Child Pornography: pictures, videos, or other media forms that depict sexual activity involving minors. Child pornography charges can result in extremely harsh criminal punishment.

Child Protective Services (CPS): in sex crime cases involving children, or when parents have been accused of a sex crime, Child Protective Services may conduct an investigation and in some cases, remove children from their home. CPS is a government agency and it is critical to understand your rights in a sex crime case so that you properly protect your family.

Conviction: when a person is found guilty of a sex crime charge and faces a criminal sentence.

Criminal Sexual Conduct (CSC): a crime that can result from sex with a minor, sex with a student, sexual contact accomplished using force or threats, or other instances of sexual assault and molestation. Depending on the alleged defendant and victim’s ages and relation to one another, CSC charges range from the 4^th to the 1^st degree, and can result in very serious criminal punishment.

Date Rape: a crime resulting from unwanted sexual activity between two persons, usually involving drugs such as GHB or “roofies.”

Defendant: a term used to describe the person who is facing criminal charges.

DNA Testing: DNA analysis attempts to discover the identity of a person from blood, sweat, semen, or other samples, which can point to the guilt or innocence of a person in a sex crime case.

Felony: more serious crimes that can result in longer jail sentences and other additional penalties are called felony crimes.

Gross Indecency: see Indecent Exposure.

Indecent Exposure: exposing private parts of the body to a person or persons can result in charges of indecent exposure.

Lewd Conduct: any activity aiming to sexually arouse a person or persons without their consent can be labeled lewd or lascivious conduct, which is a criminal offense.

Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry (PSOR): see Sex Crime Registration

Misdemeanor: less serious than a felony crime, a misdemeanor charge may still result in jail time and other serious penalties, and will require the defense of an experienced sex crimes attorney.

Personal Protection Order (PPO): also referred to as a restraining order, a court order that requires a person to stay away from another’s work, home, school, and other places. Sex crimes including stalking can result in PPOs.

Polygraph: a lie detector test that measures the body’s involuntary responses (heart rate, blood pressure, etc.) to questions. A police polygraph is designed to prove a person has committed a crime, while a private polygraph can be used in some cases to prove innocence. Neither is admissible in court, however can be influential in pre-file cases or early on in a trial.

Prosecutor: the attorney assigned to a case who will attempt to convict the defendant of a crime.

Prostitution: an illegal act involving performing sex acts in exchange for money or other services.

Rohypnol: a common “date rape drug” also known as “roofies.”

Solicitation: refers to attempts to initiate sexual activity with a person, such as a minor, prostitute, or other individual with whom sexual contact could be illegal.

Sex Crime: any offense involving sexual contact or penetration may be referred to as a sex crime.

Sex Crime Registration: when a person is convicted of a sex crime, he or she could be registered as a sex offender on the Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry, also known as PSOR. This database of information is available to the public, and can include personal details such as your name, birthdate, address, and photo. Sex offender registration will make it difficult to obtain employment, get a loan, or do other things that you may take for granted now.

Sex Offender Registration: See Sex Crime Registration.

Sexting: text messaging, emailing, or social media messaging naked pictures, erotic messages, videos, or other media is known as sexting. Sexting does not have its own statute in Michigan, and can result in extremely serious CSC or child pornography charges.

Sexual Assault: sexual contact or penetration accomplished using force, threats, weapons, or other means can result in sexual assault accusations and criminal charges of CSC or another sex offense.

Social Networking: websites that allow users to engage with one another through public and private messages; can be used in sexting, solicitation, and other internet sex crimes.

Stalking: following a person, excessively contacting a person, and other invasive actions can result in charges of stalking.

Statutory Rape: sexual activity with a person who is under the age of consent can result in cases of statutory rape. Consensual sex acts can still result in statutory rape acts, because the crime deals with the age of the alleged victim, rather than the act itself.

Contact Grabel & Associates - Michigan Sex Crimes  Lawyers

Our attorneys are available 24/7 to begin working with you to fight back against sex crime accusations. Protect your rights and reputation now by calling 1-800-883-2138 or contact us online. Ask to set up a free initial consultation with Scott Grabel, who has extensive Michigan trial court experience. Anyone facing a sex offense accusation will need legal representation, and our attorneys are recognized for their ability to achieve great results in criminal cases.