Tennessee Law Update 2016: Changes in Sex Crime Laws

AUGUST 1, 2016 BY BERNIE MCEVOY LAW OFFICE

As of July 1st, 2016, nearly two hundred new and revised laws went into effect across the State of Tennessee. Tennessee added and changed laws with specific focuses on human sex trafficking, DUI, child abuse, rape, sex offenders, prostitution, and family laws. Many of the revisions to laws already in place and new laws for sex crimes could land offenders on the sex offender registry.

Here are Six Updates to Sex Crime Laws that are now in Effect Across the State of Tennessee

1. Unlawful Photography will earn you a spot on the sex offender registry. A new law allows for judges to place offenders, who unlawfully take photographs of a person for sexual gratification, on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s sex offender registry for up to 10 years.
2. Revisions to child rape offenses and charges include adding aggravated sexual battery as a lesser offense to aggravated rape of a child and rape of a child.
3. One of the new laws has now extended the Statute of Limitations to 15 years after a victim of aggravated rape turns 18 years of age.
4. Statutory Rape by an Authority figure will now be classified under a new felony class. The change to the law will call for offenders to be charged with a Class B felony instead of a Class C felony only if the victim is between the ages of 13 and 18 and if there is only a four year age difference.
5. The new law redefines the term promotion in regards to the crimes of promoting prostitution and human sex trafficking. The term has been redefined so that victims of human sex trafficking will not have to face undue punishment and to help ensure services to minor victims from DCS.
6. Traffickers who promote the prostitution of another person will now be charged with a Class E felony and will be required to register as a sex offender.

If you have been arrested for a current or past sex crime and would like to know how these new laws affect you, call Nashville criminal defense attorney Bernie McEvoy today. As a former assistant district attorney in Davidson County, Mr. McEvoy has prosecuted for these types of offenses, and he has the experience, dedication, and passion for defending your sex crimes case. Call (615) 255-9595 for a consultation today.