10 Statistics About Sex Crimes in Florida
Sex crimes in Florida are serious offenses encompassing a range of unlawful activities involving sexual conduct. According to Florida law, these crimes are defined and penalized under various statutes within the Florida Code.
Key Florida Sex Crimes Include:
- Florida Statutes § 794, which addresses sexual battery
- § 800.04 concerning lewd or lascivious offenses committed upon or in the presence of a minor, and
- § 827.071, which pertains to the sexual performance by a child.
Sexual battery § 794.011
Sexual battery, as defined in § 794.011, involves non-consensual sexual penetration or union with another person’s sexual organ. Penalties for this crime vary based on the age of the victim and the use of force or threats, ranging from a second-degree felony to a life felony.
Lewd or lascivious offenses § 800.04
Lewd or lascivious offenses, outlined in § 800.04, cover a spectrum of actions, including molestation, exhibition, and conduct deemed inappropriate towards minors, with penalties that include both prison time and mandatory registration as a sex offender.
“Florida Sexual Predators Act”
The state of Florida also enforces stringent residency restrictions and community notification laws for convicted sex offenders, as codified in § 775.21, often referred to as the “Florida Sexual Predators Act.” This statute mandates that offenders live far from schools, parks, and other areas where children congregate.
Overall, Florida’s legal framework aims to protect its citizens, particularly minors, from sexual offenses through rigorous enforcement and substantial penalties for offenders. This approach reflects the state’s commitment to maintaining public safety and addressing the severe impact of sex crimes on victims and communities.
For more detailed information, refer to the Florida Statutes on the official Florida Legislature website.
Below are 10 Interesting 10 Statistics About Sex Crimes in Florida
1. Repeat Offense Rate: The average yearly repeat offense rate for sex crimes in Florida was 6.5% from 1990 to 2010, which is lower than for non-sex assaults (8.3%), robbery (15.1%), drug offenses (29.8%), and DUI (11.6%) (Levenson & Zgoba, 2016).
2. Impact of Megan’s Law: About one-third of convicted male sex offenders in Florida reported experiencing severe consequences such as job loss, threats, or property damage due to Megan’s Law (Levenson & Cotter, 2005).
3. Public Opinion on Residence Restrictions: In a 2006 poll, parents in Florida were significantly more likely to support residence restrictions for sex offenders (Mancini et al., 2010).
4. Recidivism Perception: Community members in Melbourne, Florida, believe that sex offenders have very high recidivism rates and are overwhelmingly in favor of public disclosure of information about registered sex offenders (Levenson et al., 2007).
5. Housing Prices Impact: Housing prices in Hillsborough County, Florida, dropped by 2.3% on average when a sex offender moved into a neighborhood but rebounded once the offender moved out (Pope, 2008).
6. Residence Restrictions Impact: Housing restrictions for child molesters in Florida led to increased isolation, financial and emotional stress, and decreased stability among offenders (Levenson & Cotter, 2005).
7. Sex Offender Treatment: More sex offenders were being treated in community settings than in state-operated residential programs, with 21% of community-treated offenders being self-referred (Moore et al., 1985).
8. Impact on Latino Immigrants: A study found that Latino immigrant sex offenders in Florida often committed similar types of offenses as non-Latino immigrants, highlighting a transnational aspect of the issue (Ackerman & Furman, 2013).
9. Adolescent Offenders: A study of 100 adolescent male sex offenders in Florida found no statistical differences in victimization frequency between different crime groups, suggesting other factors contribute to offending behavior (Benoit & Kennedy, 1992).
10. Media Influence: Increasing national media attention to sexual violence has partially driven more punitive sentencing for sex crimes in Florida since the 1990s (Cochran et al., 2020).