The criminal offense of sexual assault generally involves forced sexual intercourse, sodomy, or other sexual penetration of another person—against the person’s will and without the person’s consent.

Sexual assault laws vary from state to state, and in some states the traditional criminal offense of rape is defined as the criminal offense of sexual assault. In some states the touching, groping, or pinching of the body of another person without the person’s consent and for purposes of sexual gratification is defined as sexual assault—and in other states such nonconsensual sexual contact is defined as the criminal offense of sexual battery or forcible touching, for example.

Sexual assault and related criminal offenses are generally located in a state’s statutes—often in the penal or criminal code.

In Arkansas, sexual assault is defined under the Arkansas Code Annotated § 5-14-101 to § 5-14-127. The law categorizes sexual assault into four degrees, with first-degree being the most severe. Sexual assault in Arkansas generally involves engaging in sexual contact or sexual intercourse with another person without their consent, which includes any situation where the victim is incapable of consent due to being physically helpless, mentally incapacitated, or under the legal age of consent. The law also covers other forms of nonconsensual sexual behavior, such as sodomy or any penetration with an object. The severity of the offense and the resulting penalties vary based on factors such as the age of the victim, the use of force or the threat of force, and the perpetrator's relationship to the victim. In Arkansas, the term 'sexual assault' encompasses what might be referred to as rape or sexual battery in other jurisdictions, and the state's statutes provide specific definitions and penalties for these crimes.