Sex Crimes in Maryland
There are different offenses lies under the sex crime heading in the code of Maryland. Sexual assault, sexual offense, and rape are the most prominent crimes which are included in sex crimes. There are punishments for every sex crime, and all sex crimes are felonies as per the Maryland law and the codes. Once you are proven guilty of the sex offense, then you will be considered as a sex offender for the rest of your life, and there is no going back. Only leverage is when the other person who filed the case, takes his/her case back and states that the incident didn’t happen or you didn’t commit such crime. Otherwise, there is a “Sex offender” label with you for your whole life.
Penalties for Sex Crimes in Maryland
Rape has the most serious penalties and sentencing for all sex crimes. It is treated with First Degree crime and Second Degree crime. Then comes Sexual Offense; it has four categories of how serious the crime is and the punishments according to the severity of the crime.
- Rape
First Degree Crime: This is the most serious crime in the sex crime category, and it has lifetime imprisonment as punishment. Even attempting this offence would land you behind bars for the rest of your life. Not only this, if a person who is above 18 and rapes a kid under 13, then he/she has to face the life imprisonment at max. If a person kidnaps a kid under 16 and rapes him/her or even commits any sexual offense, they will be treated as a first-degree crime and will face sentencing for whole life.
Second Degree Crime: Second-degree rape has no life imprisonment like first degree, but it has 20 years max limit according to the Law. If you are convicted with the second attempt of a rape charge in Maryland, then you will face second-degree crime of rape and might face 20 years in prison. Second rape attempts can exceed to a first degree depending on the severity of the offense.
- Sexual Offense
Like rape, there are also sub-categories for the sexual offense. Classified into four different categories, from first to fourth. Fourth is the most lenient and the first is the most severe.
First Degree Crime: Sexual offense under first-degree crime can lead a person to jail for the rest of their life. Although, if you are convicted with such crimes before (rape, attempted rape, sexual offense, sexual assault) then there are high chances that you will be sent to the jail for the rest of your life at max. Sex with under 16 age kid, will also send you to the jail.
Second Degree Crime: if you attempt any sexual offense or commit any, then there are penalties of maximum 20 years in second-degree crime. The outcome depends on how severe the case is and how severe the offense is.
Third Degree Crime: Third-degree crime penalties are not more than ten years in prison.
Fourth Degree Crime: Fourth Degree crime is the least harsh penalty there is in sex crime category. Instead of a felony, it is a misdemeanor crime. The offender will be punished with one year in jail at max or a fine of $1,000 max. However, if the convicted person committed any sort of sex crime before, then the sentence can go up to 3 years in jail or a fine of $1,000.