Sexual assault is generally forced sexual intercourse, sodomy, or other sexual penetration of another person—against the person’s will and without the person’s consent. And although precise definitions and punishments vary from state to state, the criminal offense of aggravated sexual assault generally includes aggravating circumstances that increase the severity of the sexual assault—such as when the assailant or perpetrator uses, displays, or threatens the victim with a deadly weapon (a gun or knife); when the assailant uses a rape drug to incapacitate the victim; or when the victim is a child under a certain age, as defined by the statute.

In Washington State, sexual assault is defined under various degrees of sexual misconduct and rape, with specific statutes outlining the elements and penalties for each offense. Rape in the first degree, for example, includes sexual intercourse with another person by forcible compulsion or when the victim is incapable of consent due to being physically helpless, mentally incapacitated, or developmentally disabled. Aggravated circumstances, such as the use of a deadly weapon, the administration of a drug to facilitate the offense, or the victim being a child, can elevate the severity of the charge and increase the penalties. Washington law recognizes these aggravating factors and imposes harsher sentences for such crimes, which are prosecuted as felonies with the potential for lengthy prison sentences, fines, and registration as a sex offender. The exact age that defines a child victim and other specific details can be found in the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), particularly in chapters 9A.44 and 9.94A, which cover sex offenses and sentencing guidelines respectively.