18 U.S.C. § 2241 – Aggravated sexual abuse
This statute covers the most serious federal sexual abuse offenses involving force, threats, incapacitation, or very young victims.
Section 2241 makes it a federal crime to cause another person to engage in a sexual act under extreme or coercive circumstances. These cases typically involve violence, threats of severe harm, drugs or intoxicants used to incapacitate a victim, or sexual acts involving children.
This statute applies to conduct occurring within federal jurisdiction, including federal land, special maritime and territorial jurisdiction, federal prisons, and facilities holding individuals in custody under federal authority or contract.
What the law prohibits.
A person violates this statute if they knowingly cause another person to engage in a sexual act by:
- Using physical force against the other person.
- Threatening death, serious bodily injury, or kidnapping, or placing the person in fear that such harm will occur.
- Rendering the person unconscious and then engaging in a sexual act.
- Administering drugs, alcohol, or other substances—by force, threat, or without the person’s knowledge or consent—that substantially impair the person’s ability to understand or control their conduct.
- Engaging in a sexual act with a child under 12, or with a child between 12 and 15 years old when force, threats, or incapacitation are involved and the age gap meets the statute’s requirements.
- Attempting any of the above conduct, even if the act is not completed.
For offenses involving children under subsection (c), the government does not have to prove that the defendant knew the child’s exact age.
Penalties.
Aggravated sexual abuse carries some of the harshest penalties in federal law, including:
- long mandatory minimum prison sentences,
- potential life imprisonment, and
- enhanced penalties for prior convictions.
If you are facing or under investigation for a federal sexual offense, speak with a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. Call (314) 900-HELP or contact our criminal defense team to discuss your situation.
