All sex offenses involve a sexual act committed without the victim's consent.

• A. All sex offenses involve a sexual act committed without the victim's consent.
• B. Sex offenses require the offender to be armed.
• C. Sex offenses require the victim to be a minor.
• D. Sex offenses require the offender to intend to injure the victim.

Answer: (A)

Consent is the determining element across sex offenses. The offense is defined by a sexual act performed on another person without that person’s valid consent, and consent can be lacking due to coercion, incapacity, or the victim’s age or other legal invalidities. Because of this, offenses like rape, criminal sexual act, forcible touching, and statutory rape hinge on the absence of consent (or invalid consent) rather than on weapons, the victim’s age in every case, or the offender’s intent to injure. If there is valid, lawful consent, those specific sex-offense charges typically do not attach, even if a sexual act occurs. The other statements aren’t correct because they introduce elements (being armed, requiring a minor victim, or needing intent to injure) that are not required elements for all sex offenses.