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 Connecticut, sexual assault is defined under various degrees of severity in the state's penal code. The most serious form, first-degree sexual assault, typically involves forced sexual intercourse or sodomy without consent and may include situations where the victim is physically helpless or where the offender uses a deadly weapon to coerce the victim. Connecticut law recognizes lesser degrees of sexual assault, which may involve nonconsensual sexual contact that does not necessarily include intercourse, such as touching or groping against someone's will for sexual gratification. These offenses can be charged under different degrees, with varying levels of punishment depending on factors such as the use of force, the victim's age, and the perpetrator's relationship to the victim. The state statutes provide specific definitions and penalties for these crimes, ensuring that a range of nonconsensual sexual behaviors are covered under Connecticut's sexual assault laws.