Sexual battery is the act of making physical contact with the intimate part (genitals, buttocks, or a woman’s breasts) of another person’s body without their consent. For example, fondling a woman’s breast without her consent is sexual battery. Sexual battery is punished more severely if the victim is under 16 years old or if the defendant has previously been convicted of sexual battery.

Child molestation is performing any immoral or indecent act to or in the presence of a child under 16 years old, with the intent to arouse the sexual desires of the adult or child including transmitting sexually explicit material. Aggravated child molestation is child molestation that either injures or involves an act of sodomy against a child under 16 years of age.  Aggravated child molestation is perhaps the most seriously punished crime in Georgia. 

Child molestation carries a 5 to 20 year mandatory prison sentence, while aggravated child molestation requires at least a 25 year prison sentence, with life on probation.

Forcible rape is when one person has sexual intercourse by force against the victim’s will. The terms “forcibly” and “against her will” are two separate elements of proving rape. The term “forcibly” means acts of physical force, threats of death or physical bodily harm, or mental coercion, such as intimidation. The term “against her will” means without consent. Any consent that is induced through fear or intimidation does not amount to consent in law and does not prevent the intercourse from being considered rape. punishment for forcible rape is 10-20 years, life imprisonment, life without parole, or death. 

There are two types of statutory rape. Statutory rape happens when a person has sex with another person under age 16 who is not a spouse. Statutory rape occurs even if there is consent. The punishment for this type of statutory rape is 1-20 years in prison. Statutory rape also happens if the victim is 14 or 15 and the offender is no more than three years older than the victim. This type of statutory rape is a misdemeanor, and the punishment is incarceration in a local correctional facility for up to 12 months and/or a fine of up to $1000.

Prostitution is offering, performing, or consenting to sex for money. Prostitution is a misdemeanor, and the punishment is incarceration in a local correctional facility for up to 12 months and/or a fine of up to $1000.

If you are required to register as a sex offender and fail to do so, you will be punished. Failing to register is a strict liability crime meaning that it does not matter whether it was done by accident or on purpose. Whether or not a person intended to register or not is not taken into account. A first conviction for failing to report your address is punished by a prison term between one and thirty years. A second conviction for failing to register will be a prison term between five and thirty years.

Public indecency is to commit an act of sexual intercourse, a lewd exposure of the sexual organs, a lewd appearance in a state of partial or complete nudity, or a lewd caress or indecent fondling of the body of another person. Individuals convicted of this sex offense will face a felony conviction and imprisonment for one to five years.