Sexual Battery

Sexual battery offenses include the oral, anal or vaginal penetration of another without their consent. Both federal and Florida law include heavy fines and severe criminal penalties, including potential mandatory/minimum sentences of up to 25 years and maximum potential sentences of up to LIFE. Mr. Petruzzi has represented numerous individuals charged with, or under investigation for, sexual battery offenses by both federal and state authorities. His experience and knowledge serve as an invaluable asset to his clients.

Federal sexual battery offenses are investigated and prosecuted by various agencies, including the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice. Some common federal statutes criminalizing sexual battery include:

18 USC Sec. 2242:

Whoever, in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States or in Federal prison, or in any prison, institution, or facility in which persons are held in custody by direction of or pursuant to a contract or agreement with the head of any Federal department or agency, knowingly:

(1) Causes another person to engage in a sexual act by threatening or placing that other person in fear (other than by threatening or placing that other person in fear that any person will be subjected to death, serious bodily injury or kidnapping)

(2) Engages in a sexual act with another person if that other person is:

(A) incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct

(B) physically incapable of declining participation in, or communicating unwillingness to engage in, that sexual act;

or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for any term of years or for life.

Florida sexual battery offenses are investigated and prosecuted by various state and local law enforcement agencies. Some common Florida statutes criminalizing sexual battery include:

794.011 Sexual battery:

(1) (h) “Sexual battery” means oral, anal, or vaginal penetration by, or union with, the sexual organ of another or the anal or vaginal penetration of another by any other object; however, sexual battery does not include an act done for a bona fide medical purpose.

(3) A person who commits sexual battery upon a person 12 years of age or older, without that person’s consent, and in the process thereof uses or threatens to use a deadly weapon or uses actual physical force likely to cause serious personal injury commits a life felony, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, s. 775.084 or s.794.0115.

(4) A person who commits sexual battery upon a person 12 years of age or older without that person’s consent, commits a felony of the first degree, punishable as provided in s.775.082, s. 775.083, s. 775.084 or s. 794.0115 under any of the following circumstances:

(a) When the victim is physically helpless to resist

(b) When the offender coerces the victim to submit by threatening to use force or violence likely to cause serious personal injury on the victim, and the victim reasonably believes that the offender has the present ability to execute the threat

(c) When the offender coerces the victim to submit by threatening to retaliate against the victim or any other person, and the victim reasonably believes that the offender has the ability to execute the threat in the future

(d) When the offender, without the prior knowledge or consent of the victim, administers or has knowledge of someone else administering to the victim any narcotic, anesthetic or other intoxicating substance which mentally or physically incapacitates the victim

(e) When the victim is mentally defective and the offender has reason to believe this or has actual knowledge of this fact

(f) When the victim is physically incapacitated

(g) When the offender is a law enforcement officer, correctional officer or correctional probation officer as defined by s. 943.10(1), (2), (3), (6), (7), (8) or (9), who is certified under the provisions of s. 943.1395 or is an elected official exempt from such certification by virtue of s. 943.253, or any other person in a position of control or authority in probation, community control, controlled release, detention, custodial, or similar setting, and such officer, official, or person is acting in such a manner as to lead the victim to reasonably believe that the offender is in a position of control or authority as an agent or employee of the government.

(5) A person who commits sexual battery upon a person 12 years of age or older, without that person’s consent, and in the process thereof does not use physical force and violence likely to cause serious personal injury commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, s. 775.084 or s.794.0115.