Sex offense

A sex offense (also called a "sex crime") is a artificial category of offenses created by those who wish to sensationalize sexual activity which they oppose, usually on moral grounds.

A "sex offense" may even include activity which is not even traditionally considered to be sexual activity. For example, public urination is a "sex offense" in many jurisdictions. The "logic" behind this is that the penis is a sexual organ, and that the viewing of a sexual organ may be somehow "harmful" to others, especially those who have not yet reached the age of 18. A person who turns 18 years old suddenly becomes immune to any serious damage, according to this theory. But if the incident had occurred one day earlier, then the "child" would have been seriously (and perhaps irreparably) damaged for life, and would have required long-term (and very expensive) "psychological treatment" to minimize the damage.

Sodomy laws in the past have defined many normal sexual activities as being "sex offenses".

Whether a specific activity qualifies as a "sex offenses" may depend on the reasons behind the activity in question. For example, one person may place his or her hand on the knee of a boy or girl sitting beside him/her, and that person may not be committing a sex offense.

Another person may place his or her hand on the knee of a boy or girl sitting beside him/her, and that person is committing a sex offense, if the person placing the hand finds the boy or girl to be sexually attractive.