There are a few penalties that all sexual battery charges have in common, these include:
- Being required to register as a sex offender
- Fines
- Imprisonment
What varies between cases is the amount of time for a prison sentence and fines that must be paid.
- If the victim is 18 or older: Florida uses minimum statutory sentences, with the minimum sentence for sexual battery against a person 18 or older at 34.5 months (nearly 3 years). In this scenario, the maximum sentence is 30 years imprisonment, 30 years of probation and $10,000 in fines.
- If the victim is 12 or younger: If one commits sexual battery upon, or in an attempt to commit sexual battery injures the sexual organs of someone younger than 12 years old, he or she is guilty of a life felony. The minimum sentence for this is life imprisonment without parole.
- If the victim is between 12 and 18: If the victim is under 18 years of age but older than 11, the mandatory minimum sentence is for 108 months imprisonment with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Fines may also be imposed of as much as $10,000.
There are additional circumstances that may factor into the punishment. For example, if it was an aggravated sexual battery, you may be facing a more harsh punishment. If the victim’s organs were injured, or if it was an aggravated sexual battery against a minor, you’ll be facing steep jail time at minimum.
Further, if the sexual battery occurred on federal property, or included the crossing of state lines, you may be facing federal charges and will need a federal defense lawyer in Tampa to help.