Tennessee § 39-13-501 - Definitions for §§ 39-13-501 — 39-13-511.

Full text of Tennessee Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-13-501 — Definitions for §§ 39-13-501 — 39-13-511., with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 39-13-501. Definitions for §§ 39-13-501 — 39-13-511.

As used in §§ 39-13-501 — 39-13-511 , except as specifically provided in § 39-13-505 , unless the context otherwise requires: “Coercion” means threat of kidnapping, extortion, force or violence to be performed immediately or in the future or the use of parental, custodial, or official authority over a child less than fifteen (15) years of age; “Intimate parts” includes semen, vaginal fluid, the primary genital area, groin, inner thigh, buttock or breast of a human being; “Mentally defective” means that a person suffers from a mental disease or defect which renders that person temporarily or permanently incapable of appraising the nature of the person's conduct; “Mentally incapacitated” means that a person is rendered temporarily incapable of appraising or controlling the person's conduct due to the influence of a narcotic, anesthetic or other substance administered to that person without the person's consent, or due to any other act committed upon that person without the person's consent; “Physically helpless” means that a person is unconscious, asleep or for any other reason physically or verbally unable to communicate unwillingness to do an act; “Sexual contact” includes the intentional touching of the victim's, the defendant's, or any other person's intimate parts, or the intentional touching of the clothing covering the immediate area of the victim's, the defendant's, or any other person's intimate parts, if that intentional touching can be reasonably construed as being for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification; “Sexual penetration” means sexual intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio, anal intercourse, or any other intrusion, however slight, of any part of a person's body or of any object into the genital or anal openings of the victim's, the defendant's, or any other person's body, but emission of semen is not required; and “Victim” means the person alleged to have been subjected to criminal sexual conduct and includes the spouse of the defendant. Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 1; 1997, ch. 256, § 2; 2005, ch. 456, § 1; 2013, ch. 172, § 1. Cross-References. Child sexual abuse, title 37, ch. 1, part 6. Criminal injuries compensation claim procedure for child sexual abuse victims, § 29-13-108 . Criminal injuries compensation for child sexual abuse victims, § 29-13-106 . Criminal injuries compensation fund privilege tax upon persons committing sexual offenses upon children, § 40-24-107 . Extortion, § 39-14-112 . Kidnapping, title 39, ch. 13, part 3. Limitation of actions in prosecutions for offenses committed against children, § 40-2-101 . Mental health and intellectual and developmental disabilities, title 33. Sexual offender registration and monitoring, title 40, ch. 39. Textbooks. Tennessee Criminal Practice and Procedure (Raybin), §§ 30.61, 28.94. Tennessee Jurisprudence, 11 Tenn. Juris., Evidence § 154; 21 Tenn. Juris., Rape, §§ 1, 3, 4; 22 Tenn. Juris., Sodomy, § 1. Tennessee Law of Evidence (2nd ed., Cohen, Paine and Sheppeard), § 412A.2. Law Reviews. Constitutional Law — Campbell v. Sundquist: Tennessee's Homosexual Practices Act Violates the Right to Privacy, 28 U. Mem. L. Rev. 311 (1997). Equal Protection — Validity of Gender-Specific Statutory Rape Law, 48 Tenn. L. Rev. 947. Sex in Prison (Ronald G. Turner), 36 No. 8 Tenn. B.J. 12 (2000).

Source: official Tennessee text · Last verified 2026-08-27

Frequently Asked Questions About Tennessee § 39-13-501

What does Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-13-501 cover?

Section 39-13-501 ("Definitions for §§ 39-13-501 — 39-13-511.") is part of the Tennessee Code Annotated, the codified statutory law of Tennessee. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

How do I cite Tennessee § 39-13-501?

A common citation format is "Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-13-501" (Tennessee). Legal writing may require the code abbreviation, section number, and year or edition. Match the style required by your court, professor, or publisher.

Is this the official text of Tennessee law?

No. This page is for research and education and may not include the most recent amendments. For official current law, check the Tennessee official source linked on this page or consult a licensed Tennessee attorney.

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Sources & Verification

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