“Peeping Tom” statutes vary throughout the country. However, in most jurisdictions, including Muskogee, this is considered a sex crime in Oklahoma.
If you are charged with a Peeping Tom sex crime in Oklahoma, be prepared for a stressful battle. Sex crimes are vigorously prosecuted in the state.
Sex crimes in Muskogee carry not only fines and jail terms if convicted, but also a significant loss of freedom and privacy rights once released from jail.
A Peeping Tom sex crime in Oklahoma and its conviction can haunt you for years. Thus, it is not an act to be taken lightly.
What Constitutes a Sex Crime in Oklahoma?
In Oklahoma, Peeping Tom charges can be prosecuted either as misdemeanors or felonies. Okla. Stat. tit. 21 § 1171
What separates the two? Let’s look at their similarities first. Both kinds of charges involve an infringement upon another person’s reasonable right to privacy, often with a prurient intent.
A man uses a set of binoculars to clandestinely watch his neighbor change her clothes through her bedroom curtains. The female neighbor has a reasonable expectation of privacy in her bedroom and the perpetrator violates that right to privacy. The perpetrator engages in the action clandestinely to satisfy his own lewd or prurient interest.
This sex crime in Oklahoma would most likely be charged as a misdemeanor offense. If convicted, the Peeping Tom could spend up to a year in jail and pay a fine of up to $5,000.
If that same perpetrator uses any photographic, electronic, or video equipment in the act of watching the neighbor, or if the perpetrator publishes or distributes any image obtained from that act, then the matter can be charged as a felony crime. This type of Peeping Tom sex crime in Oklahoma is punishable by up to five years imprisonment and a fine of up to $5,000.
Additional Considerations
If the victim of a Peeping Tom sex crime in Oklahoma is in a dwelling place, the statute deems that to be an area of reasonable expectation of privacy. Okla. Stat. tit. 21 § 1171
The Peeping Tom statute also lists a locker room, dressing room, or restroom as an area in which one can expect privacy. However, the more public the location, the less reasonable it may be to expect privacy.
Other Possible Penalties
If this is treated as a sex crime in Oklahoma, an offender may have to register as a sex offender after release from jail. You may be limited in terms of areas in which you could live and jobs for which you could be hired.
Low-cost Consultation: Muskogee Criminal Defense Attorney
If you end up charged with a Peeping Tom sex crime in Oklahoma, you could face significant jail time and hefty fines. It is always best to obtain legal representation as soon as possible when charged with a crime. Look for an experienced attorney in the Muskogee area. Your freedom may be at stake.
For a no-cost, no-obligation consultation with an experienced Muskogee criminal defense attorney, call 918-913-0725 or toll free at 1-888-Wirth-Law (1-888-947-8452).
