Sex Crimes In The Criminal Justice System

Sex Crimes

In the Criminal Justice System, a major problem is sex crime. Sex crimes come in different forms such as, prostitution, molestation, rape, statutory rape, possession of child pornography, aggravated sexual assault, internet sex crimes, etc. Sex crimes are defined differently by each jurisdiction, but with many of these crimes, there are borderline aspects of the crime that are the same throughout each jurisdiction. “Sex crimes generally involves illegal or coerced sexual conduct against another individual and each state has its own time limit or “statute of limitations” in which victims of sex crimes may file a lawsuit against the alleged offender. People convicted of sex crimes, regardless of severity, are considered “sex offenders”

by their respective state and face having their names added to state and federal sex offender registries.” (Sex Crimes, n.d.) The label “sex offender” follows a person everywhere they go. Whenever these individuals’ changes address, they are required to submit their new address and whereabouts so it becomes public record. Along with their address being public record, their name, age, multiple names and aliases, work address, the level and description of the crime they committed, and also multiple photos of the individual. The penalties a sex offender will face is, not being able to work in a school or do any school-related work that entails the person to come in contact with any child under the age of 18, these job includes school bus driver, crossing guards, and also public libraries, they cannot live within close distance to a school campus or playground, and also not being able to be around children under age 18. Sex crimes are motivated by a history of sexual abuse, neglect, violence, and also lack of control over one’s self and others. Many sex crimes are done as a tactic to take control over there victim and feeling like they have superiority.

Sex Workers
“Sex work is a phrase created in the last 30 years to refer to sexual commerce of all kinds. Legal definitions change over time and place, leading to great confusion if one relies on one definition from the criminal code or one from the civil code, as they do not travel well. Despite the difficulty of terminology, prostitution as a sexual exchange for money or other valuables is the general definition of prostitution for this work.” (What is Sex Work, 2008) Sex workers have been associated and stigmatized as low-life individuals that will do anything sexual for their next meal and to keep their pimps happy. Working in the sex trade, depending on the jurisdiction and line of work, is illegal and carries criminal charges. Sex workers try to have the least amount on encounters with the law even if they have been victimized which leads to more victimization across the world. There are many myths that follow sex workers. In order to raise awareness of sex workers’ rights, projects and programs have been created. There are many disease being passed on through sex workers which makes citizens pushing for the law to control and decrease the appearance and presence of sex workers.
Sex Workers and Diseases
Along with the job of being a sex worker, there are precautionary measures in which each employee has to follow repeatedly in order to ensure they are healthy and remain healthy.

“Sex workers, their clients and regular partners are key populations at risk for HIV infection. Contextual factors such as stigma and poverty may further exacerbate sex workers' vulnerability to HIV.” (Sex workers: HIV/AIDS, n.d.) Because sexually transmitted diseases are rampant throughout the world, sex workers are expected to practice safe sex and also regular checkups. Although sex workers are not required to know the status of their client, it is often recommended that each worker asks their clients such questions. “Interventions aimed at empowering sex workers and providing them with HIV prevention, treatment and care, and support services have proven effective in a wide range of formal and informal sex work settings.” (Sex workers: HIV/AIDS, n.d.) These programs encourage regular checkups, and gives information about one’s body and health. “Interventions promoting awareness of safe sex and diseases should include promoting and supporting condom use, detection and management of sexually transmitted infections, behavior change communication through peer outreach, HIV testing and counselling, and antiretroviral treatment.” (Sex workers: HIV/AIDS, n.d.) These steps helps to promote good health and disease

awareness.
Sex Workers Outreach Project
With the increased interest and awareness of violations towards sex workers now being publicized, there are now programs being created to protect the rights of sex workers.

To protect sex workers, the Sex Workers Outreach Project USA has been created to bring awareness of problems sex workers face and offers a helping hand to them by providing mentors, hotlines, funding, and advocacy programs. On the SWOP USA website their mission is, “Sex Workers Outreach Project-USA is a national social justice network dedicated to the fundamental human rights of people involved in the sex trade and their communities, focusing on ending violence and stigma through education and advocacy. SWOP, at its most basic, is an anti-violence campaign. As a multi-state network of sex workers and advocates, we address locally and nationally the violence that sex workers experience because of their criminal status.” (Mission Statement , n.d.) This organization is well developed and helps to fight for the rights of individuals whose rights are ‘discontinued’ based of how society views these individuals and the career

choice.
Rape and Sex Workers
A popular myth about sex workers is that a sex worker cannot be raped. This myth is further from the truth. Many people believe this is the case because of the job description and the way these workers present themselves on the street by the way they dress, their approach, and the way their characters may be portrayed in public. “The conflation of sex work and rape, and the assumption that all sex work can be framed in a single, narrow description contribute to the denial of consent for those who trade sex, even if the phrasing sounds different.” (DAdamo, 2016) This poses as a threat to sex workers because this makes them an easier target than another woman on the street. Throughout the years, many sex workers who have been raped, remain in the dark due to the fact that they believe that either their reports will be unheard, people will judge them more for their career choice, various forms of sex crimes are illegal and they feel that it will be easier for them to fall on the other side of the criminal justice system as soon as they report the crime and their profession is made known to police officers, and others are just simply afraid and embarrassed because they have been raped.
“In the last several months, there have been a number of rape allegations involving sex workers in the news. Most recently, a number of sex workers accused porn star James Deen of rape. Several websites have since dropped Deen.” (DAdamo, 2016) In cases where the alleged rapist is a sex worker working alongside a sex worker in the adult film performing industry, the burden of proof for the reporter is harder since consent to certain sexual acts is already given. The burden of proof for a rape case is always left for the reporter to prove. “Engaging in the sex trade does not remove the ability for a person to determine what is and is not rape. They do not lose the ability to declare boundaries while engaging in sexual activities or to define their own experience when victimized. Anything that undermines self-determination ultimately harms the hard-fought battle won by feminism, reproductive rights, and gender equality advocates over consent and control over one’s own body.” (DAdamo, 2016) Although a person may give consent to another person to engage in sexual activities, there are boundaries in which each person sets in which the other person is expected to respect and not violate the other person’s wishes.