The book and movie “Fifty Shades of Grey” has taken the world by storm. Millions of women have read the book cover to cover and eagerly awaited the release of the film. Despite its popularity, there had been much controversy over the content of both the book and the film, which normalizes BDSM behavior and roles. Many people believe the film furthers a violent perspective about women – encouraging Domestic Violence and Rape. Others say it is simply a “fun,” “sexy” escape from reality.

Books like Fifty Shades of Grey encourage people to commit sex crimes.

So, which side of the debate is true? As an experienced criminal defense attorney in Denver, Arapahoe, and Jefferson County, I have seen first-hand how much our sex-saturated culture affects people and how they behave. I believe normalizing violent, controlling behavior against women is a dangerous trend. I recently read an article which perfectly illustrates how films like Fifty Shades of Grey can cause people to commit sex crimes.

Fifty Shades of Grey Reenactment Ends in Sex Offense Charge

The book, “Fifty Shades of Grey” is based on a BDSM relationship.

According to the article, two college students were reenacting scenes from the film “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Unfortunately, the two didn't agree on boundaries before they began reenacting, so one of the pair is now facing sex offense charges. Apparently, the two had had sex before, but weren't dating (a common enough occurrence in today's culture). They went to the young man's dorm room, where the two began having sex. But, the encounter became violent when the young man tied up the woman, bound her to the bed, gagged her, and hit her with a belt. The young woman allegedly began to ask him to stop, but the two had sex anyway. Now, while this sounds like a horrible situation that should be morally black and white, considering our current culture, it's not that bad when you consider they were con-sensually acting out the famous book. In fact, the entire basis of Fifty Shades of Grey is based on bondage sex – the main male character teaches a young, innocent woman about BDSM, which stands for Bondage and Discipline, Domination and Submission, and Sadism and Masochism. Unfortunately for the young man, the two didn't discuss boundaries or “safe words,” and the young woman says she was sexually assaulted, even though the man believed the encounter was consensual. The young man was charged with Sexual Assault, and his bail was set at an unbelievably high $500,000, based on the extreme nature of the allegations.

Why You Need a Lawyer in the Current Sex-Obsessed Culture

Books and media normalizing violent sexual behavior cause such violent behavior to become mainstream.

Our culture is obsessed with sex. If you don't believe me, take a look at Facebook, Twitter, the media, or watch a recent movie trailer. And, when sex is the center of everything, boundaries must be pushed, or people get bored. Thus, books and movies like Fifty Shades of Grey become popular. Wildly popular. And when books normalizing violent, dominating behavior are mainstream, the behavior becomes mainstream. But our laws haven't caught up yet, so people are charged with serious sex crimes. Sexual Assault is subject to indeterminate sentencing in Adams, Douglas, and El Paso County, and across Colorado. If a person is convicted of this crime (all it takes is the allegations of one witness), they will be sentenced to the Colorado Department of Corrections for an indeterminate amount of time. Their release will be dependent on completion of sex offender treatment in prison. Our culture is obsessed with sex, but when people act on their obsession, they are punished severely. This is why you need an aggressive criminal defense lawyer to defend you if you have been charged with a sexual offense. Don't stand alone in court – work with a lawyer who fights to win.

If you or a loved one has been charged with Sexual Assault or another sex offense, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact an experienced criminal defense attorney at the O'Malley Law Office for a free consultation at 303-830-0880. Together, we can protect your future.