Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child

Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child under Texas Penal Code § 22.021(a)(1)(B) and (a)(2)(B) is a First-Degree Felony that applies when the victim is younger than 14, or when aggravating factors (serious bodily injury, use of a deadly weapon, administering a controlled substance, or threat of death) accompany sexual assault of a child under 17. The ordinary punishment range is 5 to 99 years or life plus up to a $10,000 fine, but § 22.021(f) imposes a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years when the victim is younger than 6, or when the victim is younger than 14 and the offense involved specified aggravators. A prior conviction for certain listed sex offenses triggers an automatic life sentence without parole under § 12.42(c)(2). Conviction also requires lifetime sex offender registration under Chapter 62 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.