If you have been arrested for public
urination, it's possible that you could be charged with a sex offense.
Perhaps this will serve as more incentive to empty your bladder at the
bar or restaurant before taking off.
Some may see public urination as a relatively harmless and victimless crime. After all, when you gotta go, you gotta go.
But in some cases, you could be charged with a sex offense and --
similar to pedophiles and child rapists -- be forced to register as a
sex offender.
Generally, the crime of public urination
involves just that: relieving oneself in public. Individuals may do
this for a variety of reasons completely unrelated to voyeurism,
threatening children, or anything sexual. For example, the simple fact
is that at a lot of events there are a lot of beverages served, but just
not enough toilets. As a result, revelers may be doing their business
wherever they can.
In most states, public urination is a misdemeanor charge. Those faced with the charge pay a penalty and avoid jail time.
In contrast, a sex offense
generally includes sexual acts against children. Besides acts like
assaulting or molesting a child, a sex offense can also include crimes
like exposing oneself to a child.
So if you urinate in public, and there are children around, you could potentially get charged with a sex offense in some states.
Whether someone is convicted of a sex offense will depend upon the
laws in the jurisdiction. For example, if intent to commit a sex offense
on a child is a necessary element of the crime, someone merely
urinating in public may be exonerated of the charge. On the other hand,
some jurisdictions make indecent exposure to a child a crime regardless
of intent.
The penalties for a child sex offense are severe and embarrassing.
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