Definition of a Sexually Violent Offense
The term “sexually violent offense” means an offense of one of the following:
- Continuous sexual abuse of a young child or children;
- Indecency with a child by sexual contact;
- Sexual assault;
- Aggravated sexual assault;
- An offense of aggravated kidnapping if the person committed the offense with intent to violate or abuse the victim sexually;
- An offense of burglary of a habitation if the person committed the offense with intent to violate or abuse the victim sexually;
- An offense of murder or capital murder that is determined beyond a reasonable doubt to have been based on sexually motivated conduct;
- An attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation to commit any of the offenses set out above;
- An offense under prior state law that contains elements substantially similar to any of the offenses set out above; or
- An offense under the laws of another state, federal law, or the Uniform Code of Military Justice that contains elements substantially similar to any of the offenses set out above.
Definitions Under the Violation of Civil Commitment Order Statute
Under Texas law, the term “sexually violent predator” means a person who is a repeat sexually violent offender and who suffers from a behavioral abnormality that makes the person likely to engage in a predatory act of sexual violence.
The term “behavioral abnormality” means a congenital or acquired condition that, by affecting a person\\\’s emotional or volitional capacity, predisposes the person to commit a sexually violent offense, to the extent that the person becomes a menace to the health and safety of another person.
The term “predatory act” means an act directed towards individuals, including family members, for the primary purpose of victimization.