What is the difference between sexual battery & sexual abuse?

ZEPPLINADDICT: What is the difference between sexual battery & sexual abuse?
my sister in law thinks you can say F–K you to someone and you can be arrested for sexual battery or sexual abuse. i say more sexual harrassment than abuse or battery. her brother just got arrested for the battery-2 counts but she thinks he’s gonna get out of jail? what do ya’ll think. would like to hear a response from a professional .

Answers and Views:

Answer by JB
Sexual battery normally involves some type of assault. Sexual abuse is normally just unwanted sexual contact.

Saying F— You to someone is considered Disorderly Conduct, or in some rare cases, peace disturbance.

As to her brother getting out of jail? Depends upon the evidence against him, the quality of lawyer he hired, and the victim’s desire to prosecute.

Answer by sharon
sexual battery charges would only be applied if there was physical contact made, otherwise any verbal comments cannot be seen as battery this would be classed as abuse.
hope this helps
best wishes x

Answer by leslie S
It depends on the state, In none can saying F U be considered either one.
If it is a threat then she can be charged with simple assault but there must be some act in furtherance, not just the words. Some states have considered a delivered F-U to be “fighting words” meaning that the victim of the owrds can hit the person saying F-U but there is not sexual content involved.
In my state sexual assault means what most people think of as rape and other major sex crimes. Some sort of penetration.
Sexual abuse means touching of genitalia or secondary sexual characteristics by another for sexual stimulation or gratification.
So if you pat someone on the butt and that excites you that is sexual abuse.
Normally physical contact has to happen in either case. The sound waves going through the air an hitting an eardrum is not considered physical contact.