The State of Texas has been cracking down more than ever against those accused of child sexual abuse, child pornography, indecency with a child, sexual performance, solicitation of a minor, and all types of sexual assault crimes, commonly known as rape. . A guilty plea to a sex crime in Texas has many far-reaching ramifications, including but not limited to:

* A defendant will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life for many types of sex crimes, including indecency with a child by touching and sexual assault on a child. There is no differentiation under sex offender registration laws in Texas (at this time) between forcible rape, incest, and a consensual statutory rape scenario, such as a 20-year-old defendant with a 14-year-old girlfriend.

*A Defendant, once sentenced to prison time, will not be eligible for parole consideration until he or she has served one-half of the prison sentence, calculated according to Texas prison standards.

* A Defendant placed on deferred adjudication parole may have his or her parole extended for up to 20 years.

* If a Defendant commits a sex crime and is convicted after a prior deferred adjudication, direct parole, or prison sentence for a sex crime, the Defendant will receive an automatic life sentence.

These Texas laws, among many others, must be considered by a Defendant contemplating a guilty plea or facing trial. It is very important that the Defendant retain a competent criminal defense attorney who is well versed in sex offender laws. as well as divorce and child custody considerations, as these issues frequently go hand-in-hand with a charge of sexual assault or injury to a child.