{"id":376491,"date":"2016-03-31T21:36:48","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:36:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/tennessee-law\/tennessee-rape-and-sexual-assault-laws.html"},"modified":"2022-01-08T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-01-08T05:00:00","slug":"tennessee-rape-and-sexual-assault-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/tennessee-law\/tennessee-rape-and-sexual-assault-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Tennessee Rape and Sexual Assault Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Tennessee Rape and Sexual Assault Laws<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last reviewed\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

Many different forms of non-consensual sexual conduct<\/a>, including rape<\/a> and other sexual touching (called "sexual battery"), are sex crimes<\/a> in Tennessee. Generally, higher penalties are assessed for especially bad actions, such as displaying weapons to rape or raping a young child.<\/p>\r\n

Children can’t consent to most sexual conduct in Tennessee. Therefore, even if a child or teen claims to consent to a sexual act, it can still be illegal. This is called "statutory rape<\/a>." When a girl under 18 is pregnant and her doctor finds out the alleged father is over four years older and not her spouse, then the doctor is encouraged to report the condition to the police<\/a> or court with the patient’s or her parents’ consent.<\/p>\r\n

Rape and Sexual Assault Defenses<\/h2>\r\n

Many possible defenses<\/a> could apply to a rape or sexual battery case. For example, for sexual activities between two adults, showing that the person did consent and that there was no force could be a defense. In addition, innocence, which could be proven by an alibi showing you couldn’t possibly have been the person who did it, is a defense. It’s possible a mental condition could make it so a defendant didn’t understand the sexual conduct was illegal, an insanity defense<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

It’s best to discuss what happened with a qualified, local sex crimes lawyer to develop and present a solid defense.<\/p>\r\n

Tennessee Rape and Sexual Assault Laws: Statutes<\/h2>\r\n

The main provisions of Tennessee’s rape and sexual assault laws are outlined below.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Code Sections<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

Tennessee Code Title 39: Criminal Offenses, Chapter 13: Offenses Against the Person, Part 5: Sexual Offenses<\/a><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

What is Prohibited?<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

Many sexual offenses are illegal in Tennessee, including:<\/p>\r\n

Penalties<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

The sentence ranges for the above sex crimes are:<\/p>\r\n