Ron Jeremy Faces Multiple Rape and Sexual Assault Charges

Ron Jeremy, 68-year-old porn star, was recently indicted by a grand jury on more than 30 counts of sexual assault. The charges included:

• 12 counts of forcible rape
• 7 counts of forcible oral copulation
• 6 counts of sexual battery by restraint
• 4 counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object
• 2 counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious or asleep person
• 1 count of a lewd act upon a child under the age of 14 or 15
• 1 count of sodomy by use of force and assault with intent to commit rape

Jeremy pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to all charges; however, his legal proceedings are not over yet. These charges are just part of the consequences of Jeremy’s actions over a time span of 23 years. In the same time span, Jeremy was alleged to have raped and sexually assaulted 21 women whose ages range from 15 to 51. His most recent assault occurred in 2008, where he allegedly raped a 17-year-old girl at a home in the Woodland Hills neighborhood. The investigation into Jeremy’s crimes is ongoing.

What is sexual assault?

Sexual assault is any forced or unwanted sexual activity against a man, woman, or child without consent. Because many victims do not report their abuse for reasons such as fear of retaliation or shame, it is difficult to accurately grasp how common sexual abuse occurs. Experts, however, agree that the number of incidents is far higher than what is currently reported. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, there are one in five women and one in 71 men who will be raped at some point in their lives. One in four girls and one in six boys will also be sexually abused before their 18^th birthdays.

What kinds of charges is Jeremy facing?

California recognizes a difference between rape and sexual penetration, even though most people tend to use those words interchangeable. Rape involves sexual intercourse; it is the act of forced sexual intercourse without the victim’s consent. Rape is a crime that can take many forms, where the victim is drugged and attacked by someone that they know or don’t know, to forced intercourse between spouses.

Sexual penetration, on the hand, can be committed with any object. It’s still forced and unwanted penetration, like rape is, but it doesn’t have to involve actual sexual intercourse.

Sexual battery is defined as “touch[ing] an intimate part of another person while that person is unlawfully restrained by the accused or an accomplice, and if the touching is against the will of the person touched and is for the purpose of sexual arousal, sexual gratification, or sexual abuse.”

Is Ron Jeremey facing child molestation charges?

Yes, but California uses different terminology. Per the law, a “lewd or lascivious act on a minor” includes “any of the acts constituting other crimes provided for in Part 1, upon or with the body, or any part or member thereof, of a child who is under the age of 14 years, with the intent of arousing, appealing to, or gratifying the lust, passions, or sexual desires of that person or the child.”

Because Jeremey’s victim was allegedly 15 years old and he was more than 10 years older than the child when he sexually abused her, a different subsection of the law applies, which means the penalties are less strict.

How does sexual abuse affect victims mentally and psychologically?

Though the #MeToo movement exposed much of the sexual abuse and corruption by high-profile individuals, the problem is ongoing, and the effects or a rape or sexual assault can last a lifetime. Victims of sexual abuse are often psychologically and emotionally scarred for the rest of their lives. The effects of these scars may be magnified when their abusers are famous or powerful, and potentially keep survivors from reporting their experiences.

What is post-traumatic stress disorder?

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental disorder that can occur after a person has experienced a traumatic event. For an event to be deemed traumatic, the event must invoke a threat or harm to a person’s physical or psychological state of mind. In the case of sexual abuse victims, the victim can develop PTSD by reliving the events of the abuse over and over in their minds through continual nightmares and flashbacks.

The victim can also experience a period of avoidance, where the victim tries to avoid any feelings or situations that are reminiscent of the abuse. One example of avoidance is when sexual abuse victims try to dissociate or separate themselves from reality by creating a distance between what happened to their bodies and the feelings or thoughts connected to the experience. This can occur through spacing out, daydreaming, or forgetting large chunks of memories associated with the sexual assault.

How do sexual abuse victims experience isolation?

One of the most common effects that sexual abuse victims experience is some form of isolation. While the factors of each case are different, many sexual abuse victims may feel some form of isolation from friends and family, and even society. Some friends and family may decide to distance themselves from the victim or shun them because they decided to come forward and report their abuse.

As a result, the victim may experience feelings of shock, guilt, shame, or depression. They may view themselves as dirty or tainted and continue to isolate themselves from significant others and loved ones, keeping an ongoing cycle of isolation in effect.

What are some ways sexual abuse victims experience personality disorders?

Some sexual abuse victims may develop personality disorders such as borderline personality disorder (BPD). Borderline personality disorder is a mental disorder where a person has extreme difficulty regulating their emotions. People who suffer from borderline personality disorder experience their emotions in an intense manner over extended periods of time, and find it harder than others to return to a more stable position after experiencing an emotionally triggering event.

For sexual abuse victims, some of the common symptoms of borderline personality disorder can include an unstable or low self-image, impulsive behaviors that can produce dangerous outcomes like engaging in unsafe sex and substance abuse, self-harming behaviors such as cutting or suicidal attempts, and periods of intense depression, irritability, or anxiety. Some sexual abuse victims can also experience dissociative feelings, paranoid thoughts related to stress, and chronic feelings of boredom and emptiness.

The Los Angeles sexual abuse and assault attorneys at Taylor & Ring fight for survivors. We want to help you hold your abuser accountable, and ensure he or she can NEVER harm anyone else. If you have suffered abuse at the hands of a teacher, celebrity, employer, family member, or anyone else, call our compassionate team at 310-776-6390 or complete our contact form. We promise you a safe and secure environment in which to discuss your case, your needs, and your goals.