According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, there were just over 5,400 reports of sexual assault in 2022. That number comes from adding the different crimes reported that fit under the sexual assault umbrella.
In a 2007 survey by the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, 28.9% of women who responded said they had experienced sexual assault and 17.3% said they were raped.
The punishment that follows a sexual assault conviction depends on the details of the assault.
Rape: A person commits this crime when they have sexual intercourse without the consent of the other person. It is a first degree felony, which means prison time of five years to life and a possible fine of up to $10,000. However, the sentence can be bumped up to 15 years to life if the perpetrator caused serious bodily injury.
Forcible Sodomy: A person commits this crime when they force their genitals on either the mouth or anus of another person without consent. Like rape, this is a first-degree felony, and the sentence can be bumped up to 15 years to life if the perpetrator caused serious bodily injury.
Sexual Battery: A person commits this crime when they touch another person’s private parts in a way that would cause alarm to the person being touched. This crime is a class A misdemeanor, meaning up to 364 days in jail and a possible fine of up to $2,500.
When it comes to sexual assault, false reports do occur. They have been estimated to be 2-10% of reported cases. In fact, more than half of all wrongful convictions can be traced back to a false allegation or false testimony. Further the National Registry of Exonerations found that a Black person incarcerated for sexual assault is three-and-a-half times more likely to be innocent than a white person convicted of sexual assault.
Brown, Bradshaw & Moffat have seen many false reports in their practice. In fact, the law firm has successfully helped people get acquitted and recover the monetary losses that resulted from them.
If you have been accused of sexual assault, they would be able to help you too. For a free consultation, call (801) 532-5297.
