Unlawful Sexual Contact Attorney in Douglas County

Unlawful sexual contact is a crime that involves unwanted touching of someone’s intimate parts. Often including behaviors like groping and fondling without consent, this offense comes with particularly damaging consequences. A Colorado rideshare driver was recently found guilty of unlawful sexual contact after inappropriately touching a female passenger. Any accusation or charge such as this requires immediate representation from a skilled unlawful sexual contact attorney. Sometimes innocent people are accused of unwanted sexual contact because of a misunderstanding or an honest mistake.

How is Unlawful Sexual Contact different than Sexual Assault in Colorado?

There are differences between unlawful sexual contact and sexual assault that are important to understand. The media often mislabels any unconsenting sexual contact as sexual assault. However, sexual assault is in fact a more serious crime that must include intrusion or penetration. A person commits unlawful sexual contact in Douglas County if they:

touch someone’s intimate parts without consent,
or for their own sexual gratification, entice a child under 18 to expose their intimate parts

Touching intimate parts refers to genitals, buttocks, or a female’s breasts, either exposed or covered by clothing.

Colorado 18-3-404

The consequences of an unlawful sexual contact conviction can be especially devastating. Typically, this sex offense is a class 1 misdemeanor. Potential ramifications if found guilty of unlawful sexual contact in Douglas County include:

up to 12 months in county jail
fines of $1,000
sex offender registration
supervised probation
sex offender treatment

If the unwanted sexual contact involved threats, intimidation, force, or drugging the victim, felony consequences can apply. Instead of time in county jail, 2 – 8 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections can result, alongside much heavier fines.

Defense Attorney for Unlawful Sexual Contact in Douglas County

Building a strong defense should be a top priority if facing an accusation or charge of unlawful sexual contact. The strategic criminal defense lawyers at Sawyer Legal Group, LLC have decades of combined experience representing clients in Douglas County, as well as throughout Colorado. We highly recommend that men and women facing charges exercise their right to remain silent. Giving details and statements to law enforcement can drastically impact the outcome of a case, as well as diminish possible defenses. Perhaps the contact in your case was accidental or the touching wasn’t for sexual gratification. Nevertheless, contact our office for a free consultation where we will carefully analyze your unique situation and suggest next steps.