Tennessee Sex Crimes Legal Questions

The statute governs regardless of what the plea agreement says. However, T.C.A. § 40-39-207, titled "Petition to terminate offender participation in registration program; record expungement; registration for life for juvenile offenders" says: "Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (a)(3), no sooner than ten (10) years after termination of active supervision on probation, parole or any other alternative to incarceration, or no sooner than ten (10) years after discharge from incarceration without supervision, an offender required to register under this part may file a request for termination of registration requirements with TBI headquarters in Nashville."   ... Read More

Understand that your girlfriend is 15 and a minor. As such, she is under the authority of her parents who have the rights to make decisions for her. I would suggest that you work within the guidelines that her parents have set down for dating. Do not rush things and let them develope and before you know it she will be 18 and legally able to make up her mind as to what she wants to do.  Do not do anything stupid like running off to try and get married. Also, do not have sex with her as the age difference could get you arrested.  ... Read More

You made a bad decision in sending a picture of your private part to anyone and I would suggest that you not do it again. Sending such a picture to a minor is a felony even if you thought or was told that she was 18. However, this sounds like a scam to me.  I would suggest that you break off all comminication with "her dad".... Read More

I am assuming that there was no force used in the relationship and this was totally by consent. The offense of statutory rape covered involves an age element of the difference between you and your girlfrient. Because of your close ages it appears that you are not covered by the statutory rape statute. I have also reviewed the child abuse and  sexual battery statutes and they do not seem to apply either. Having said this, this does not mean that the mother might, as you said, try to start some sort of criminal prosecution against you. If she tries to do this, then it would be up to the DA in the county where you live to decide what statute, if any, that it thinks that you violated.... Read More

First let me make it clear that this answer in no way creates a lawyer/client relationship.  As statutory rape is a strict liability crime, only the state of Tennessee can drop the charges.  You have left out a lot of information, and my heart goes out to you if you know or are the victim of this heinous crime. Michael G. Sribnick, M.D., J.D., LLC www.michaelsribnicklaw.com    ... Read More