Florida statute
Fla. Stat. § 794.011 — Sexual battery
Current through 2025 Florida Statutes
Part of Chapter 794: Sexual Battery, Florida Statutes.
Criminal charges under this statute
Full text of Fla. Stat. § 794.011
Statutory text current through the 2025 Florida Statutes. This publication reproduces the official statutory text; it is not the official statutes of the State of Florida.
(1) As used in this chapter:(a) “Consent” means intelligent, knowing, and voluntary consent and does not include coerced submission. “Consent” shall not be deemed or construed to mean the failure by the alleged victim to offer physical resistance to the offender.(b) “Female genitals” includes the labia minora, labia majora, clitoris, vulva, hymen, and vagina.(c) “Mentally defective” means a mental disease or defect which renders a person temporarily or permanently incapable of appraising the nature of his or her conduct.(d) “Mentally incapacitated” means temporarily incapable of appraising or controlling a person’s own conduct due to the influence of a narcotic, anesthetic, or intoxicating substance administered without his or her consent or due to any other act committed upon that person without his or her consent.(e) “Offender” means a person accused of a sexual offense in violation of a provision of this chapter.(f) “Physically helpless” means unconscious, asleep, or for any other reason physically unable to communicate unwillingness to an act.(g) “Physically incapacitated” means bodily impaired or handicapped and substantially limited in ability to resist or flee.(h) “Retaliation” includes, but is not limited to, threats of future physical punishment, kidnapping, false imprisonment or forcible confinement, or extortion.(i) “Serious personal injury” means great bodily harm or pain, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement.(j) “Sexual battery” means oral, anal, or female genital penetration by, or union with, the sexual organ of another or the anal or female genital penetration of another by any other object; however, sexual battery does not include an act done for a bona fide medical purpose.(k) “Victim” means a person who has been the object of a sexual offense.
(2)(a) A person 18 years of age or older who commits sexual battery upon, or in an attempt to commit sexual battery injures the sexual organs of, a person less than 12 years of age commits a capital felony, punishable as provided in ss. 775.082 and 921.1425. In all capital cases under this section, the procedure set forth in s. 921.1425 shall be followed in order to determine a sentence of death or life imprisonment. If the prosecutor intends to seek the death penalty, the prosecutor must give notice to the defendant and file the notice with the court within 45 days after arraignment. The notice must contain a list of the aggravating factors the state intends to prove and has reason to believe it can prove beyond a reasonable doubt. The court may allow the prosecutor to amend the notice upon a showing of good cause.(b) A person less than 18 years of age who commits sexual battery upon, or in an attempt to commit sexual battery injures the sexual organs of, a person less than 12 years of age commits a life felony, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, s. 775.084, or s. 794.0115.
(3) A person who commits sexual battery upon a person 12 years of age or older, without that person’s consent, and in the process thereof:(a) Uses or threatens to use a deadly weapon; or(b) Uses actual physical force likely to cause serious personal injury,commits a life felony, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, s. 775.084, or s. 794.0115.
(4)(a) A person 18 years of age or older who commits sexual battery upon a person 12 years of age or older but younger than 18 years of age without that person’s consent, under any of the circumstances listed in paragraph (e), commits a felony of the first degree, punishable by a term of years not exceeding life or as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, s. 775.084, or s. 794.0115.(b) A person 18 years of age or older who commits sexual battery upon a person 18 years of age or older without that person’s consent, under any of the circumstances listed in paragraph (e), commits a felony of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, s. 775.084, or s. 794.0115.(c) A person younger than 18 years of age who commits sexual battery upon a person 12 years of age or older without that person’s consent, under any of the circumstances listed in paragraph (e), commits a felony of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, s. 775.084, or s. 794.0115.(d) A person commits a felony of the first degree, punishable by a term of years not exceeding life or as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, s. 775.084, or s. 794.0115 if the person commits sexual battery upon a person 12 years of age or older without that person’s consent, under any of the circumstances listed in paragraph (e), and such person was previously convicted of a violation of:1. Section 787.01(2) or s. 787.02(2) when the violation involved a victim who was a minor and, in the course of committing that violation, the defendant committed against the minor a sexual battery under this chapter or a lewd act under s. 800.04 or s. 847.0135(5);2. Section 787.01(3)(a)2. or 3.;3. Section 787.02(3)(a)2. or 3.;4. Section 800.04;5. Section 825.1025;6. Section 847.0135(5); or7. This chapter, excluding subsection (10) of this section.(e) The following circumstances apply to paragraphs (a)-(d):1. The victim is physically helpless to resist.2. The offender coerces the victim to submit by threatening to use force or violence likely to cause serious personal injury on the victim, and the victim reasonably believes that the offender has the present ability to execute the threat.3. The offender coerces the victim to submit by threatening to retaliate against the victim, or any other person, and the victim reasonably believes that the offender has the ability to execute the threat in the future.4. The offender, without the prior knowledge or consent of the victim, administers or has knowledge of someone else administering to the victim any narcotic, anesthetic, or other intoxicating substance that mentally or physically incapacitates the victim.5. The victim is mentally defective, and the offender has reason to believe this or has actual knowledge of this fact.6. The victim is physically incapacitated.7. The offender is a law enforcement officer, correctional officer, or correctional probation officer as defined in s. 943.10(1), (2), (3), (6), (7), (8), or (9), who is certified under s. 943.1395 or is an elected official exempt from such certification by virtue of s. 943.253, or any other person in a position of control or authority in a probation, community control, controlled release, detention, custodial, or similar setting, and such officer, official, or person is acting in such a manner as to lead the victim to reasonably believe that the offender is in a position of control or authority as an agent or employee of government.
(5)(a) A person 18 years of age or older who commits sexual battery upon a person 12 years of age or older but younger than 18 years of age, without that person’s consent, and in the process does not use physical force and violence likely to cause serious personal injury commits a felony of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, s. 775.084, or s. 794.0115.(b) A person 18 years of age or older who commits sexual battery upon a person 18 years of age or older, without that person’s consent, and in the process does not use physical force and violence likely to cause serious personal injury commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, s. 775.084, or s. 794.0115.(c) A person younger than 18 years of age who commits sexual battery upon a person 12 years of age or older, without that person’s consent, and in the process does not use physical force and violence likely to cause serious personal injury commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, s. 775.084, or s. 794.0115.(d) A person commits a felony of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, s. 775.084, or s. 794.0115 if the person commits sexual battery upon a person 12 years of age or older, without that person’s consent, and in the process does not use physical force and violence likely to cause serious personal injury and the person was previously convicted of a violation of:1. Section 787.01(2) or s. 787.02(2) when the violation involved a victim who was a minor and, in the course of committing that violation, the defendant committed against the minor a sexual battery under this chapter or a lewd act under s. 800.04 or s. 847.0135(5);2. Section 787.01(3)(a)2. or 3.;3. Section 787.02(3)(a)2. or 3.;4. Section 800.04;5. Section 825.1025;6. Section 847.0135(5); or7. This chapter, excluding subsection (10) of this section.
(6)(a) The offenses described in paragraphs (5)(a)-(c) are included in any sexual battery offense charged under subsection (3).(b) The offense described in paragraph (5)(a) is included in an offense charged under paragraph (4)(a).(c) The offense described in paragraph (5)(b) is included in an offense charged under paragraph (4)(b).(d) The offense described in paragraph (5)(c) is included in an offense charged under paragraph (4)(c).(e) The offense described in paragraph (5)(d) is included in an offense charged under paragraph (4)(d).
(7)(a) A person who is convicted of committing a sexual battery on or after October 1, 1992, is not eligible for basic gain-time under s. 944.275.(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), for sentences imposed for offenses committed on or after July 1, 2023, a person who is convicted of committing or attempting, soliciting, or conspiring to commit a sexual battery in violation of this section is not eligible for basic gain-time under s. 944.275.(c) This subsection may be cited as the “Junny Rios-Martinez, Jr. Act of 1992.”
(8) Without regard to the willingness or consent of the victim, which is not a defense to prosecution under this subsection, a person who is in a position of familial or custodial authority to a person less than 18 years of age and who:(a) Solicits that person to engage in any act which would constitute sexual battery commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.(b) Engages in any act with that person while the person is 12 years of age or older but younger than 18 years of age which constitutes sexual battery commits a felony of the first degree, punishable by a term of years not exceeding life or as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.(c) Engages in any act with that person while the person is less than 12 years of age which constitutes sexual battery, or in an attempt to commit sexual battery injures the sexual organs of such person commits a capital or life felony, punishable pursuant to subsection (2).
(9) For prosecution under paragraph (4)(a), paragraph (4)(b), paragraph (4)(c), or paragraph (4)(d) which involves an offense committed under any of the circumstances listed in subparagraph (4)(e)7., acquiescence to a person reasonably believed by the victim to be in a position of authority or control does not constitute consent, and it is not a defense that the perpetrator was not actually in a position of control or authority if the circumstances were such as to lead the victim to reasonably believe that the person was in such a position.
(10) A person who falsely accuses a person listed in subparagraph (4)(e)7. or other person in a position of control or authority as an agent or employee of government of violating paragraph (4)(a), paragraph (4)(b), paragraph (4)(c), or paragraph (4)(d) commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
Official sources
Legal terms used in this section
Questions this section answers
Is sexual battery a felony or a misdemeanor in Florida?
It depends on the circumstances: sexual battery ranges from a Felony of the Third Degree to a Capital Felony in Florida under Fla. Stat. § 794.011.
Sexual battery on child under 12 by adult offender: Capital Felony (Fla. Stat. § 794.011(2)(a)) · Sexual battery on child under 12 by juvenile offender: Life Felony (Fla. Stat. § 794.011(2)(b)) · Sexual battery on victim 12+ with deadly weapon or force likely to cause serious injury: Life Felony (Fla. Stat. § 794.011(3)) · Adult offender, victim 12-17, aggravating circumstance: Felony of the First Degree (Fla. Stat. § 794.011(4)(a)) · Adult offender, adult victim, aggravating circumstance: Felony of the First Degree (Fla. Stat. § 794.011(4)(b)) · Juvenile offender, victim 12+, aggravating circumstance: Felony of the First Degree (Fla. Stat. § 794.011(4)(c)) · Sexual battery with prior qualifying conviction, aggravating circumstance: Felony of the First Degree (Fla. Stat. § 794.011(4)(d)) · Adult offender, victim 12-17, no serious-injury force: Felony of the First Degree (Fla. Stat. § 794.011(5)(a)) · Adult offender, adult victim, no serious-injury force: Felony of the Second Degree (Fla. Stat. § 794.011(5)(b)) · Juvenile offender, victim 12+, no serious-injury force: Felony of the Second Degree (Fla. Stat. § 794.011(5)(c)) · Sexual battery without serious-injury force, prior qualifying conviction: Felony of the First Degree (Fla. Stat. § 794.011(5)(d)) · Familial/custodial authority solicitation of minor: Felony of the Third Degree (Fla. Stat. § 794.011(8)(a)) · Familial/custodial authority sexual battery, victim 12-17: Felony of the First Degree (Fla. Stat. § 794.011(8)(b)) · Familial/custodial authority sexual battery, victim under 12 (juvenile offender): Life Felony (Fla. Stat. § 794.011(8)(c)) · False accusation of authority-position sexual battery: Felony of the Third Degree (Fla. Stat. § 794.011(10))
Which Florida statute covers sexual battery?
Sexual battery is governed by Fla. Stat. § 794.011 (Sexual battery).
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.