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 Missouri, the criminal offense of sexual assault is covered under the state's sexual offense statutes. Missouri law defines various degrees of sexual assault, which can include rape, sodomy, or any unwanted sexual penetration, and does not require physical force or violence; the lack of consent is sufficient. The term 'rape' is specifically used to describe the act of having sexual intercourse with another person without their consent through the use of force, threat of force, or when the victim is incapacitated. Missouri also recognizes offenses such as sexual misconduct and sexual abuse, which can involve nonconsensual sexual touching or contact for the purpose of sexual gratification, similar to what some states refer to as sexual battery or forcible touching. These laws are designed to protect individuals from any form of nonconsensual sexual activity and are found in the Missouri Revised Statutes, particularly in the sections dealing with sexual offenses.