Sex Offenses
Understanding Indecent Assault: Legal Definitions and Defenses
Explore the legal definitions, consequences, and defenses related to indecent assault.
Read articleSexual Assault
Few charges carry heavier consequences — or more stigma — than a sexual-assault allegation. You are entitled to a defense, and to a lawyer who treats you with discretion and takes the case seriously.
Massachusetts prosecutes sexual offenses aggressively. Charges range from indecent assault and battery (G.L. c. 265, § 13H) to rape (§ 22) and offenses involving minors — many of which are felonies carrying state-prison exposure.
Beyond incarceration, a conviction can mean mandatory registration with the Sex Offender Registry Board (SORB), which follows you for years and shapes where you can live and work. These cases often turn on consent, credibility, and identification — issues that must be handled with care and skill.
An allegation is not a conviction. The Commonwealth still has to prove every element beyond a reasonable doubt, and there are real defenses — but they have to be built early and carefully.
How it works
Discreet, methodical, and focused on the evidence — not the headline.
Step 1
We step in before you say anything to investigators, and make sure your rights are protected from the first contact.
Step 2
We examine the complaint, the timeline, communications, forensic evidence, and the credibility of the allegation.
Step 3
We litigate motions, cross-examine the evidence, and hold the prosecution to its burden on every element.
Step 4
Where a conviction is unavoidable, we work to minimize charges and address registration consequences head-on.
Actual results Attorney Reinhardt has obtained in matters like yours. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome — every case turns on its own facts.
The client was charged with a serious sexual assault and faced a likely significant state prison sentence. He had limited English-language skills, and police used a fellow officer to assist with translation during the interrogation, where the client made several statements harmful to his defense. Attorney Reinhardt moved to throw out the statements based on inaccurate and incomplete translation — particularly as to when the client was asking for information about his right to have an attorney present. After a full hearing, the judge agreed and ordered the statements suppressed, producing a far better outcome for the client.
The client had a minimal record and a strong family and work history but was charged with indecent assault and battery over an incident at a Worcester County department store. Through several detailed conversations, Attorney Reinhardt understood that the client's primary concern was avoiding the serious and lasting impact of having to register as a sex offender. He filed a motion resulting in dismissal of the serious felony charge and then fashioned a resolution that avoided both a conviction and the obligation to register.
What you do in the first days matters. Call for a free, confidential, judgment-free consultation.
From the journal
Sex Offenses
Explore the legal definitions, consequences, and defenses related to indecent assault.
Read article
Sex Offenses
Explore whether sexual assault is a felony, comparing legal classifications and their impacts.
Read article